IMMVri;'  ,1i/i!  II  I HOIS 

ROOT  CROPS  ' 

FOR 

STOCK  FEEDING, 

AND 

HOW  TO  GROW  THEM. 


COMPILED  FROM  THE  PRIZE  ESSAYS  AND  PRACTICAL 
EXPERIENCE. 


EDITED  BY 

W.  ATLEE  BURPEE. 


1895. 

PUBLISHED  BY 

W.  ATLEE  BURPEE  & CO.,  Seed  Growers, 
Nos.  475  and  477  North  Fifth  Street, 

Nos.  47G  and  478  York  Avenue, 

PHILADELPHIA. 


VI:  / t:  C i .1 

fiMMi.Uryji  n v;  li  V II!  u 


Copyrighted,  1888, 

B Y W.  ATLEE  BURPEE  & CO.» 

PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


Press  of  Wm.  F.  Fell  & Co. 
1220-24  Sansom  Sr., 
PHILADELPHIA. 


CONTENTS. 


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Preface,  ...........  v 

Root  Crops  for  Stock  Feeding,  and  How  to  Grow  Them,  . 9 

The  Soiling  System  in  Relation  to  Winter  Feeding,  . .10 

The  Value  of  Roots  in  Fattening  Cattle,  Swine,  etc.,  . 11 

How  Root  Crops  Increase  the  Value  of  the  Farm,  . . 12 

Advantages  of  Raising  Farm-Garden  Crops  in  Connection 

with  the  Dairy  or  Cattle  Farm, 12 

Increase  of  Profits  and  Decrease  of  Expenses  Attending  the 
Growing  and  Feeding  of  Root  Crops,  . . .13 

Advantages  of  Roots  over  Dry  Fodder,  . . . . 15 

Relative  Value  of  the  Different  Varieties  of  Roots  for 
Feeding,  .........  17 

How  to  Manure  and  Prepare  the  Ground,  . . . .18 

Sowing  the  Seeds  of  Carrots,  Beets,  etc.,  ....  22 

Cultivation,  ..........  24 

Thinning,  .........  25 

Carrots,  ...........  26 

Varieties  of  Roots  Grown  for  Stock  Feeding,  . . 28 

Carrots, 28 

Coreless  Half-Long,  .......  28 

Corelees  Long  Red,  . . .....  29 

Burpee’s  Improved  Long  Orange,  ....  29 

Danvers  Half-Long  Orange,  ......  30 

Long  Red  Altringham,  ......  30 

Large  White  Vosges,  .......  31 

Large  Yellow  Belgian,  . . . . 31 

Large  White  Belgian,  .......  32 

Ox-Heart,  or  Guerande,  ......  33 

Saint  Vallery, 34 

iii 

44988 


0 


iv  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Sugar  Beets  and  Mangel  Wurzels,  .....  35 

Varieties  of  Beets  for  Stock  Feeding,  . . .37 

Burpee’s  Improved  Blood  Turnip,  ....  37 

Long  Smooth,  Blood-Red  ......  37 

Bastian’s  Half-Long,  . . . . . . 38 

Varieties  of  Sugar  Beets, 38 

White  Silesian,  ........  38 

Red-Top,  .........  39 

Lane’s  Improved  Imperial,  .....  40 

Varieties  of  Mangel  Wurzels,  . . . .41 

Golden  Tankard  Yellow-Fleshed,  ....  41 

New  Kinver  Yellow  Globe, .42 

Large  Yellow  Oberndorf,  ......  43 

Yellow  or  Orange  Globe,  . . . . . .44 

Red  Globe,  .........  44 

Yellow  Ovoid,  ........  45 

Mammoth  Prize  Long  Red,  .....  46 

Parsnips, 47 

Varieties  of  Parsnips, 47 

Improved  Guernsey,  .......  47 

Long  Smooth,  or  Hollow  Crown,  ....  48 

Ruta  Bagas, 48 

Varieties  of  Ruta  Bagas, 49 

Large  White, 49 

Laing’s  Improved  Strap-Leaved,  ....  50 

Burpee’s  Improved  Purple  Top  Yellow,  . . .50 

Imperial  Hardy,  . . . . . . . 51 

Turnips, 51 

Varieties  of  Turnips  for  Stock  Feeding,  . . 54 

Extra  Early  Purple-Top  Milan,  . . . . .54 

Large  Yellow,  or  Amber  Globe,  ....  55 

Yellow  Aberdeen,  ........  56 


CONTENTS.  V 

PAGE 

Robertson's  Golden  Ball,  or  Orange  Jelly,  ...  56 

Pomeranian  White  Globe,  . . . .56 

Red  Top  Strap-Leaved,  ......  57 

Early  White  Flat  Dutch,  ......  57 

White  Globe  Strap -Leaved,  .....  58 

Red  Top  White  Globe,  .......  58 

White  Egg,  ........  60 

Jersey  Navet,  ........  60 

Long  White,  or  Cowhorn,  ......  51 

Sweet  German,  ........  61 

Selecting  the  Varieties  to  Grow, 62 

Harvesting,  ..........  64 

Storing  the  Roots,  ........  66 

Storing  the  Tops, 69 

Feeding, 70 


PREFACE. 


In  Burpee’s  Farm  Annual  for  1887  we  offered 
a series  of  cash  prizes  for  the  best  and  second- 
best  essays  on  four  subjects  of  importance  in 
garden  and  farm  topics  ; among  these  was  “ Root 
Crops  for  Stock  Feeding,  and  How  to  Grow 
Them.”  While  we  received  in  all  one  hundred 
and  twelve  essays  in  competition,  but  seven  of 
these  were  on  root  crops.  This  fact  confirmed  our 
belief  that  the  value  of  these  crops  is  compara- 
tively but  little  known.  It  is  our  object  in  pub- 
lishing this  treatise  to  furnish  the  needed  informa- 
tion in  a concise  and  practical  form,  showing  both 
the  advantages  of  raising  roots  for  feeding  purposes 
and  also  how  to  grow,  store  and  feed  them. 

For  the  best  essays  on  this  subject  the  first  prize 
was  awarded  to  Mr.  I).  H.  Stuart,  Farmville, 
Prince  Edward  County,  Virginia,  and  the  second 
prize  to  Mr.  F.  E.  Carlile,  Little  York,  Washing- 
ton County,  Indiana.  Although  these  essays  were 
both  good,  they  did  not  cover  the  subject  as  fully 
in  detail  as  we  desired,  and  hence  are  not  pub- 
lished in  their  original  forms,  with  only  additional 

vii 


Vlll 


PREFACE. 


foot-notes,  as  are  the  prize  essays  on  onions,  and 
cabbages,  and  cauliflowers,  in  our  books  on  those 
subjects.  This  little  book  has  been  carefully  com- 
piled, however,  embracing  all  the  important  points 
of  the  prize  essays,  together  with  considerable  other 
information.  As  the  subject  will  be  new  to  many 
of  our  readers,  we  have  also  added  an  illustrated 
descriptive  list  of  the  different  varieties  of  roots 
suitable  for  stock  feeding. 

W.  Atlee  Burpee. 

Philadelphia,  January  11th,  1888. 


ROOT  CROPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING, 

AND 

HOW  TO  GROW  THEM. 


The  rapid  settling  of  the  cheap  and  fertile  lands 
of  the  West,  and  the  low  rates  of  transportation, 
have  so  reduced  the  price  of  cereals,  that  our 
farmers  in  the  Eastern  States  can  no  longer  grow 
them  on  their  farms  at  a profit,  without  heavy  and 
expensive  manuring,  the  natural  fertility  of  the 
soil  having  been  exhausted  many  years  ago.  The 
amount  of  capital  invested  in  the  farm  also  re- 
quires that  the  eastern  farmer  shall  have  a larger 
return  per  acre  than  the  farmer  on  virgin  prairie 
soil,  where  the  land  is  obtained  for  from  one-tenth 
to  one-quarter  the  amount  required  to  purchase 
land  in  the  older  and  more  thickly  populated 
States.  The  new  land  requires  but  to  be  plowed 
and  planted,  and  the  crops  to  be  harvested,  in  most 
cases  being  thrashed  and  marketed  at  once,  thus 
doing  away  with  the  expense  of  storage  barns, 
which  enables  a farmer  to  clear  a profit  on  a crop 
of  from  ten  to  fifteen  bushels  of  wheat  per  acre, 
while  on  the  older  and  higher-priced  farms  in  the 
Eastern  States,  a crop  of  twenty  bushels  per  acre 
will  barely  pay  the  expenses  of  raising  it.  In  the 

9 


10 


HOW  TO  GROW 


report  of  the  Commissioner  of  Agriculture,  for 
1886,  the  average  yield  of  wheat  per  acre  for  the 
last  six  years  has  been  a small  fraction  over 
twelve  bushels  per  acre ; we  believe  that  fifteen 
bushels  per  acre  would  be  the  average  yield  for 
the  Middle  and  New  England  States.  It  will  be 
seen  that  the  farmer  who  grows  wheat  on  land 
worth  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre, 
is  losing  money  on  this  standard  crop.  Of  course, 
this  cannot  long  continue,  and  our  farmers  are 
largely  turning  their  attention  to  increasing  their 
bank  account  and  the  fertility  of  their  land  by  the 
fattening  of  stock  and  by  dairy  farming,  by 
this  means  selling  the  crop  in  a concentrated  and 
higher-priced  form,  and  still  retaining  the  bulk 
of  it  to  return  to  the  land,  in  the  shape  of  manure. 
Since  dairy  farming  has  grown  to  be  one  of  our 
most  important  industries,  all  subjects  pertaining 
to  it  are  of  interest  and  importance,  and  it  is  our 
object  in  presenting  this  treatise  to  call  attention 
to  what  we  believe  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  helps 
to  profitable  farming — the  growing  and  feeding 
of  roots. 

THE  SOILING  SYSTEM  IN  RELATION  TO  WINTER 
FEEDING. 

All  works  on  farming,  and  the  leading 
agricultural  papers,  continually  set  forth  the 
advantages  of  the  soiling  system,  that  is,  the  grow- 
ing of  heavy  crops  of  green  food  of  various  sorts 
and  feeding  the  same  to  the  milch  cows  or  cattle 


ROOT  CROPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING 


11 


in  the  barn,  thus  greatly  increasing  the  number 
of  animals  that  can  be  kept  on  a given  number 
of  acres,  and  likewise  increasing  the  quantity  of 
manure  that  can  be  returned  to  the  soil,  so  that  a 
larger  crop  can  be  raised  the  next  season,  increas- 
ing the  richness  of  the  soil  each  year  until  the 
highest  state  of  fertility  is  attained. 

When  cattle,  dairy  stock,  swine  and  poultry 
are  supplied  with  roots  in  winter,  their  general 
health  and  appearance  is  much  better  than  when 
supplied  with  dry  foods  alone.  The  roots  aid 
them  in  digesting  the  dry  meals  and  fodder,  and 
impart  a fre$,  natural  action  to  the  bowels ; this 
tends  to  keep  the  skin  loose  and  the  coat  smooth 
and  glossy. 

THE  VALUE  OF  ROOTS  IN  FATTENING  CATTLE, 
SWINE,  ETC. 

While  cattle  and  swine  fed  wholly  on  roots 
will  not  take  on  much  flesh,  they  can  be  wintered 
in  good  condition  when  fed  on  these  alone.  When 
the  roots  are  fed  with  grain  or  the  rich  dry  meals, 
their  value  is  about  three  to  one,  as  compared 
with  the  same  weight  of  hay.  Five  tons  of  hay 
per  acre  is  probably  as  heavy  a crop  in  proportion 
as  twenty  tons  of  carrots  or  forty  tons  of  man- 
gels per  acre,  and  the  expense  per  ton  of  grow- 
ing the  roots  is  less  than  the  cost  of  the  hay,  thus 
refuting  the  argument  of  many  writers  against 
the  use  of  roots,  “ that  they  are  too  expensive  to 
raise.”  The  greatly-increased  amount  of  food  that 


12 


HOW  TO  GROW 


can  be  raised  per  acre,  and  the  superior  richness 
of  it,  can  readily  be  seen  from  this  statement,  but 
the  root  par  excellence  for  cattle,  etc.,  is  the  turnip, 
an  enormous  crop  of  which  can  be  raised  as  a 
second  crop  on  ground  that  has  been  well  ma- 
nured, at  a cost  of  about  five  cents  per  bushel. 

HOW  ROOT  CROPS  INCREASE  THE  VALUE  OF  THE 
FARM. 

While  the  manure  from  animals  fed  solely  on 
root  crops  is  of  low  value,  the  raising  and  feeding 
of  them  in  connection  with  grain  in  various  forms 
enable  the  farmer  to  keep  the  largest  number  of 
cattle  possible  on  a given  number  of  acres,  and,  by 
keeping  the  cattle  in  the  best  of  health,  enable 
them  to  assimilate  the  largest  quantities  of  rich 
grain  food  possible,  and  in  both  these  ways  add 
largely  to  the  bulk  and  value  of  the  manure  pile, 
which  will  assist  in  the  growing  of  larger  crops  of 
grains  and  roots  in  the  succeeding  years.  This 
increased  supply  of  manure,  not  only  enables  the 
farmer  to  raise  large  crops  of  the  regular  farm 
products,  but  also  makes  it  possible  for  him  to 
engage  in  the  profitable  raising  of  farm-garden 
crops,  when  situated  within  reach  of  transportation 
to  the  large  cities. 

ADVANTAGES  OF  RAISING  FARM-GARDEN  CROPS  IN 
CONNECTION  WITH  THE  DAIRY  OR 
CATTLE  FARM. 

We  believe  that  the  raising  of  what  are  known 
as  Farm-Garden  crops,  such  as  onions,  cauli- 


ROOT  CROPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


13 


flower,  cabbages,  melons,  beans,  etc.,  in  connection 
with  dairy  farming,  is  one  of  the  most  profit- 
able forms  of  agriculture  at  the  present  time.  An 
important  gain  in  the  union  of  root-fed  cattle  with 
the  growing  of  farm-garden  crops  is,  that  not  only 
the  supply  of  manure  is  largely  increased,  but 
that  the  land  in  wThich  the  roots  have  been  grown 
is  in  the  very  best  condition  for  growing  the  mar- 
ket vegetables.  It  is  conceded  by  all  growers, 
that  roots,  especially  carrots,  are  the  best  crop  to 
prepare  the  soil  for  a crop  of  onions.  To  ensure 
a large  crop  of  roots  the  ground  must  be  heavily 
manured  and  thoroughly  cultivated  throughout 
the  season,  and  the  roots  and  tops  are  carefully 
gathered,  leaving  the  ground  free  from  weeds  or 
litter,  while  the  deep  cultivation  of  the  crop  and 
the  action  of  the  roots  have  left  the  soil  in  a fine, 
friable  condition.  In  respect  to  leaving  the  soil 
in  a fine,  loose  texture,  carrots  are  nearly,  if  not 
quite,  equal  to  clover. 

INCREASE  OF  PROFITS  AND  DECREASE  OF  EXPENSES 
ATTENDING  THE  GROWING  AND  FEED- 
ING OF  ROOT  CROPS. 

While  nearly  all  farmers  are  aware  of  the  value 
of  ropts  for  feeding,  most  of  them  hesitate  to  raise 
them,  partly  because  the  idea  is  new  to  them,  and 
they  do  not  take  readily  to  novelties  of  their  own 
accord,  waiting,  rather,  for  them  to  be  forced  upon 
their  attention  by  some  agent  or  by  the  success- 
ful practice  of  some  progressive  neighbor.  The 
idea  prevails  in  the  minds  of  most  farmers  who 


14 


HOW  TO  GROW 


are  not  conversant  with  the  subject,  that  root  crops 
are  expensive  and  laborious  to  raise,  but  when 
the  large  amount  of  food  that  can  be  raised  per 
acre,  as  compared  with  other  crops,  is  taken  into 
account,  we  think  the  balance  in  favor  of  the 
roots  will  readily  be  seen.  We  trust,  also,  that  the 
directions  for  culture,  given  with  the  different 
kinds  of  roots,  will  prove  that  it  is  not  such  a 
laborious  matter  to  raise  a crop  of  roots  as  it  is 
often  thought  to  be. 

Where  the  farms  are  large,  the  market  distant, 
and  the  price  of  land,  consequently,  low,  we  have 
no  doubt  it  would  be  cheaper  to  raise  large  quanti- 
ties of  hay  to  feed  than  to  depend  on  roots ; but 
where  the  farm  is  of  moderate  size,  and  it  is 
desired  to  stock  it  as  heavily  as  possible,  the 
advantages  of  raising  roots  is  apparent.  The 
average  crop  of  mangels  is  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
tons  on  good  land,  with  a good  coat  of  manure ; 
by  doubling  the  manure  applied,  the  crop  can  be 
doubled,  thus  largely  decreasing  the  price  per 
bushel,  the  sole  increase  for  the  second  half  of  the 
crop  being  the  value  of  the  manure  and  the  labor 
of  harvesting  the  roots.  The  same  rule  applies  to 
the  other  varieties  of  roots  for  feeding,  and  the 
moral  we  would  draw  is,  only  to  plant  so  large  a 
patch  of  roots  as  you  can  manure  and  cultivate 
well,  if  you  wish  to  raise  them  cheaply.  To  those 
who  have  never  fed  roots  we  would  suggest  that 
two  tons  is  ample  to  carry  a cow  throughout  the 
winter,  and  that  by  taking  this  in  conjunction 


ROOT  CROPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


15 


with  the  preceding  figures,  the  cost  of  the  winter 
supply  and  the  amount  of  land  that  should  be 
planted  can  easily  be  calculated. 

ADVANTAGES  OF  ROOTS  OVER  DRY  FODDER. 

Some  writers  on  agricultural  topics  deny,  in  the 
first  place,  that  the  roots  have  any  medicinal 
properties,  and  claim  that  even  if  they  do  possess 
such  properties,  acting  to  keep  the  bowels  in  a 
free  and  healthy  state,  the  same  result  can  be 
obtained  by  the  use  of  the  rich  cake  meals,  when 
added  to  the  regular  dry  feed.  We  think  this 
reasoning  is  weak  and  not  sustained  by  the  facts. 
First,  there  is  the  natural  craving  of  all  animals 
for  green  food.  It  is  well  known  that,  to  obtain 
the  most  profitable  results  from  cows,  they  must 
be  kept  quiet  and  contented  as  well  as  healthy 
and  well  fed.  How  can  this  be  done  better 
than  by  giving  them  such  food  as  they  naturally 
crave?  We  do  not  recommend  the  feeding  of 
roots  alone,  but  feeding  them  in  conjunction  with 
the  grain,  meals  and  rich  oil  cake,  so  as  to  produce 
the  best  results.  The  roots  not  only  give  the  bulk 
required  in  a fresh,  green  state,  but  also  aid  greatly 
in  the  digestion  of  the  grain  or  meals. 

By  feeding  the  cow  on  the  rich,  dry,  concentrated 
food  alone,  she  is  forced  to  the  highest  production 
in  an  unnatural  manner,  and  is  much  more  liable 
to  disease,  especially  the  “ milk  fever,”  which 
carries  off  so  many  of  the  best-bred  cows,  than 


16 


HOW  TO  GROW 


when  the  same  result  is  obtained  by  a mixture  of 
fresh  feed  in  her  daily  rations. 

Secondly,  to  buy  the  cake  or  corn  meals  neces- 
sitates a greater  or  less  outlay  of  cash,  which  must 
be  subtracted  from  the  profits,  together  with  the 
interest  of  the  purchase  money,  while  in  feeding 
the  roots  the  outlay  is  the  interest  of  the  invest- 
ment in  the  land,  the  manure  applied,  and  the 
labor  of  cultivation.  A very  small  part  of  the  out- 
lay is  in  actual  money,  and  as  for  time  and  ma- 
nure, these  are  the  farmer’s  working  capital,  and 
must  be  employed  in  some  profitable  manner. 
Can  they  be  more  profitably  employed  than  when 
engaged  in  raising,  on  his  own  land,  the  food 
which  he  will  require  for  the  winter  feeding  of  his 
stock  ? 

This  need  of  fresh  food  for  winter  use  is  becom- 
ing more  strongly  felt  each  season,  and  many  pro- 
gressive farmers  have  tried  to  produce  it  by  the 
use  of  ensilage.  This  requires  not  only  large  and 
expensive  pits  for  storage,  but  requires  also  con- 
siderable skill  and  experience  on  the  part  of  the 
farmer,  to  preserve  it  in  just  the  right  condition; 
so  we  think  that  the  use  of  roots  for  this  purpose 
will  be  much  more  satisfactory  to  the  average 
farmer.  Again,  many  of  our  creameries  refuse  to 
receive  the  milk  from  cows  fed  on  ensilage,  while 
the  feeding  of  carrots  and  ruta  bagas  increases  the 
richness  of  the  milk  and  butter  very  perceptibly. 


ROOT  CROPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


17 


RELATIVE  VALUE  OF  THE  DIFFERENT  VARIETIES 
OF  ROOTS  FOR  FEEDING. 

Taking  the  value  of  good  hay  at  one  dollar  per 
hundred  pounds  as  the  basis  of  our  calculations, 
and  the  average  value  of  the  roots  from  the  Gov- 
ernment analytical  tests,  together  with  the  figures 
of  practical  farmers,  we  find  that — 

Carrots,  Parsnips  and  Mangels  are  worth 


from . 20  to  30  cts.  per  bus. 

Ruta  bagas  or  Swedes  are  worth  from 20  “25  “ “ 

For  feeding  to  Cattle  or  Swine,  Turnips  are 

worth  from 12  “ 15  “ “ 


The  different  kinds  possessing  different  values, 
the  question  at  once  arises,  why  not  confine  our- 
selves to  the  most  valuable?  There  are  several 
reasons  for  not  doing  so:  first,  all  the  different 
roots  mentioned  have  each  some  particular  merit, 
suiting  it,  above  the  others,  to  a peculiar  condition 
of  soil  and  climate.  Second,  the  desire  to  furnish 
a variety  of  food,  and  to  feed  it  at  the  time  when 
it  is  in  the  best  condition,  that  the  relish  of  the 
animal  may  be  kept  up  to  the  highest  point, 
and  so  result  in  the  largest  yield  of  milk.  Third, 
carrots  are  ready  for  use  early  in  the  fall,  as  soon 
as  the  green  soiling  crops  have  been  destroyed  by 
frost,  and  they  are  not  good  keepers,  being  liable  to 
sprout  and  grow.  Mangels  should  hardly  be  fed 
before  the  middle  of  January,  but  if  carefully 
stored,  will  keep  in  good  condition  throughout  the 
winter,  while  if  the  parsnip  is  left  in  the  ground 
until  spring  it  acquires  a stronger  saccharine 
2 


18 


HOW  TO  GROW 


quality,  and  is  more  valuable  for  feeding  than  in 
the  fall. 

HOW  TO  MANURE  AND  PREPARE  THE  GROUND. 

The  plot  to  be  planted  in  roots  should  be  as 
nearly  level  as  possible,  so  that  there  will  be  no 
danger  of  washing  the  young  plants  out  by 
heavy  rains,  but  at  the  same  time  it  should  be 
high  enough  or  have  sufficient  slope  to  be  well 
drained.  The  soil  should  be  of  a loose,  loamy 
texture,  though  mangels  and  turnips  can  be  grown 
on  a sandy  soil  that  would  not  be  at  all  suitable 
for  carrots.  The  heavier  the  texture  of  the  loam 
the  better  it  will  hold  and  retain  the  large  quanti- 
ties of  manure  which  are  required  to  produce  the 
heaviest  crops. 

The  surface  should  be  free  from  stones  or 
litter  that  will  be  in  the  way  of  bringing  the  seed 
bed  to  a proper  state  of  fineness,  or  that  would 
damage  the  young  plants  in  subsequent  cultiva- 
tion. The  better  the  ground  has  been  manured 
and  the  more  thoroughly  it  has  been  cultivated 
for  the  preceding  crop,  the  larger  will  be  the  crop 
of  roots.  With  the  exception  of  turnips,  root 
crops  can  be  grown  on  the  same  ground  several 
years  in  succession  if  the  supply  of  manure  is 
kept  up,  so  that  what  might  seem  an  expensive 
preparation  of  the  land  for  a single  crop,  becomes 
much  less  when  the  cost  is  divided  by  the  num- 
ber of  years  for  which  the  crop  can  be  grown  on 
the  same  ground ; not  only  this,  but  the  stones 


ROOT  CROPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


19 


once  removed,  the  ground  is  in  better  condition 
for  all  succeeding  years. 

The  amount  of  manure  applied  and  the  weight 
of  the  crop  are  in  direct  proportion  to  each  other : 
thus,  on  fairly  good  land,  manuring  with  twenty 
large  two-horse  loads  of  good  rich  manure  will 
result  in  a crop  of  about  twenty  tons  of  mangels 
per  acre,  while  an  application  of  twice  the  quantity 
would  result  in  a crop  of  forty  tons,  or  even  more, 
in  a favorable  season.  In  Scotland,  where  the 
summer  is  cool  and  moist  and  season  longer  than 
with  us,  crops  of  sixty  to  eighty  tons  per  acre  are 
frequently  grown,  and  as  the  tops  are  carefully 
gathered  and  fed  there,  this  results  in  the  enormous 
amount  of  seventy  to  eighty  tons  of  food  raised  to 
the  acre. 

While  this  rule  of  the  heavy  manuring  increas- 
ing the  bulk  of  the  crop  is  everywhere  true,  the 
manure  must  be  applied  with  judgment,  as  if 
applied  too  heavily  on  poorly-drained  land,  or  in  a 
wet  season,  the  beets  would  continue  to  grow  too 
late  in  the  fall,  and  would  not  be  sufficiently 
ripened,  thus  greatly  diminishing  their  keeping 
and  feeding  value. 

Where  the  soil  is  in  good  rich  condition  to  the 
depth  of  ten  or  twelve  inches,  it  should  be  plowed 
as  deeply  as  possible,  and  if  some  very  long-rooted 
variety  of  beet  or  carrot  is  to  be  grown,  it  will  be 
of  advantage  to  loosen  and  turn  over  the  sub- 
soil, without  raising  any  of  it  to  the  surface. 
The  ground  should  then  be  rolled  with  a heavy 


20 


HOW  TO  GROW 


roller  or  gone  over  with  a good  clod  crusher,  to 
break  up  all  lumps  that  may  be  on  the  surface. 
The  land  is  now  ready  for  the  manure,  which 
should  be  in  as  fine  and  well-rotted  condition  as 
it  is  possible  to  have  it.  The  finer  the  manure 
is,  the  better  it  will  be  for  inducing  a quick,  strong 
growth  in  the  roots  early  in  the  season,  and  by 
the  time  that  it  is  exhausted  the  further  growth 
of  the  roots  will  be  toward  ripening  and  devel- 
oping their  rich  feeding  qualities  in  a proper 
manner.  If  the  manure  is  forked  over  once  or 
twice  in  the  barnyard,  and  spread  with  one  of 
the  new  patent  spreading  wagons,  it  will  reach  the 
ground  in  the  best  possible  condition. 

The  manure  being  evenly  spread  over  the  sur- 
face, the  ground  is  cross-plowed  to  the  depth  of 
from  four  to  five  inches,  and  the  surface  alternately 
rolled  until  it  is  as  fine  as  a hand-raked  garden  bed. 
This  can  easily  be  accomplished  if  the  soil  is 
worked  at  just  the  right  state  of  dampness  to 
crumble  up  easily ; if  worked  when  either  too  wet 
or  too  dry  to  do  this,  it  will  be  almost  impossible 
to  bring  it  to  the  right  condition  without  hand 
raking. 

If  mangels  are  the  crop  to  be  grown,  and  the 
seed  is  not  to  be  sown  at  once,  a thousand  pounds 
of  coarse  or  refuse  salt  should  be  sown  on  the 
freshly-plowed  ground  and  harrowed  in,  as  it  has 
a wonderful  effect  in  producing  a large  crop  of 
these  roots;  if  the  seed  is  to  be  sown  at  once,  the 
salt  should  not  be  applied  until  the  young  plants 


ROOT  CROPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


21 


are  from  three  to  four  inches  in  height,  and  should 
then  be  broadcasted  and  worked  in  with  the  culti- 
vator. The  use  of  salt  gives  a quick  growth  and 
large  crop.  If  the  ground  can  be  prepared  two  or 
three  weeks  in  advance  of  the  proper  time  for 
sowing,  and  then  harrowed  once  a week  until 
wanted,  it  will  bring  the  surface  into  still  finer 
condition,  and  will  destroy  any  weeds  that  may 
be  in  the  surface  soil. 

In  plowing  the  land  and  turning  under  the 
manure,  the  depth  to  which  the  roots  of  the  vari- 
ety to  be  raised  penetrate  the  soil  must  be  taken 
into  account,  or  it  may  happen  that  the  manure 
will  be  placed  so  far  under  the  surface  as  to  put 
it  out  of  reach  until  late  in  the  season  ; whereas, 
it  is  desirable  that  they  should  be  fed  in  the  early 
stages  of  their  growth  and  checked  in  time  to 
become  well  ripened. 

The  land  for  turnips  should  be  prepared  in  the 
same  manner  and  kept  well  harrowed  until 
wanted  for  planting,  though  the  first  plowing 
should  not  be  over  six  or  eight  inches  in  depth, 
and  where  they  are  to  be  raised  as  a second  crop, 
if  the  ground  is  plowed  and  made  from  five  to  six 
inches  deep,  it  will  be  sufficient,  unless  the  manure 
for  the  first  crop  was  buried  deeper,  in  which  case 
it  should  be  returned  to  the  surface. 

Where  the  supply  of  barnyard  manure  is  not 
large  enough  to  admit  of  such  heavy  manuring, 
commercial  fertilizers  may  be  used  instead.  These 
can  be  used  to  the  best  advantage  in  raising  car- 


22 


HOW  TO  GROW 


rots  and  beets,  and  can  be  applied  at  the  rate  of 
one  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  pounds  per  acre, 
and  of  the  least  advantage  when  applied  to  the 
turnip  crop,  when  not  over  two  or  three  hundred 
pounds  per  acre  should  be  used.  If  it  is  desired 
to  use  both  manures  in  connection  with  the  crop, 
the  long,  coarse  barnyard  manure  could  be  spread 
and  plowed  down  in  the  fall  and  returned  to  the 
surface  in  the  spring  plowing,  and  enough  phos- 
phate applied  to  bring  the  ground  up  to  the  proper 
state  of  richness  to  ensure  a heavy  crop. 

The  use  of  commercial  fertilizers  in  connection 
with  the  root  crops  has  the  advantage  of  quickly 
freeing  the  elements  in  the  soil  needed  by  the  plant 
to  perfect  its  growth,  so  that  the  root  attains  a 
large  size  early  in  the  season  and  is  well  ripened 
by  the  time  that  they  should  be  harvested  and 
stored. 

SOWING  THE  SEED  OF  CARROTS,  BEETS,  ETC. 

For  this  purpose,  every  farmer  who  plants  over 
half  an  acre  of  roots  should  have  a small-sized 
drill,  as  it  will  about  save  its  cost  in  a single 
season.  It  should  be  a simple  seed  sower,  and  not 
a drill  combined  with  a hoeing  and  plowing  ma- 
chine; not  only  is  the  plain  style  much  cheaper, 
but  it  works  much  more  reliably,  and  is  not  so 
apt  to  break  or  get  out  of  order.  These  machines 
need  only  to  run  the  first  row  by  the  line,  as  an 
arm  marks  off  the  second  row  as  the  first  one  is 
sown.  The  drill  should  be  entrusted  to  a careful 


ROOT  CROPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


23 


hand  who  can  be  depended  on  to  see  that  the  rows 
are  exactly  straight  and  at  even  distances  apart, 
that  no  places  are  missed  by  the  machine  getting 
choked,  and  that  the  rows  are  covered  at  an  even 
and  proper  depth.  Where  the  patch  is  small,  or  for 
some  other  reason  the  sowing  is  to  be  done  by  hand, 
the  seed  can  be  sown  in  continuous  drills,  as  is  done 
in  the  garden  ; but  we  think  a better  way  would  be 
to  stretch  a line  where  the  row  is  to  be,  and  run  a 
wooden  wheel  along  it,  having  projecting  knobs  or 
teeth  on  its  circumference  at  the  proper  distance 
apart  for  the  roots  to  grow.  This  implement 
could  easily  be  made  by  any  farmer,  and  would 
save  a great  deal  of  time  not  only  in  the  sowing 
of  the  seed,  but  in  the  subsequent  thinning  of  the 
crop,  and  not  nearly  so  much  seed  would  be  used 
as  in  sowing  in  the  open  drill;  the  projecting  teeth 
should  be  just  as  long  as  the  seed  is  to  be  buried 
in  depth,  and  four  or  five  seeds  of  parsnip  or 
carrot  should  be  dropped  in  each  place,  while  one 
or  two  beet  seed  would  be  sufficient  to  each  place. 
When  the  seed  has  been  dropped  for  the  whole 
row  it  can  be  covered  with  a hand  roller,  or  can  be 
trodden  in  with  the  foot  as  dropped.  Sowing  the 
seed  with  a good  drill  will  take  the  following 
quantities  of  seed  per  acre,  when  planted  in  drills 
sufficiently  far  apart  to  admit  of  horse  culture— 
that  is,  two  and  one-half  feet  apart. 


Beets G lbs.  of  seed  per  acre. 

Carrots 4 “ u “ 

Parsnips 5 u u “ 

Turnips 2 u “ u 


24 


HOW  TO  GROW 


Where  the  crop  is  to  be  worked  with  wheel 
hoes,  and  the  rows  to  be  from  eighteen  to  twenty- 
four  inches  apart,  about  one-third  more  seed  will  be 
required.  In  planting  the  seed  the  size  the  vari- 
ety of  root  sown  attains  must  be  taken  into 
account,  and  to  produce  the  best  results  they 
should  stand  as  thickly  in  the  row  as  they  can  be 
grown,  about  three  inches  apart  for  small  carrots, 
five  to  six  for  the  larger-growing  kinds  and  for 
parsnips,  while  beets  and  large  turnips  should  be 
about  eight  inches  apart.  Larger  roots  can  be 
grown  if  more  room  is  given,  but  are  not  nearly 
so  valuable  for  feeding  purpose  as  those  of  medium 
and  small  size.  It  has  frequently  been  proven 
by  analytical  as  well  as  practical  tests,  that  the 
medium-size  beet  contains  nearly  twice  the  per- 
centage of  sugar  that  the  large,  overgrown  one 
does. 

CULTIVATION. 

Cultivation  should  begin  as  soon  as  the  young 
plants  are  large  enough  to  permit  the  row  to  be 
seen,  and  should  be  kept  up  until  it  is  time  for  the 
roots  to  be  ripened  off.  As  the  roots  grow  in  size 
and  take  a firm  hold  of  the  soil,  the  cultivator 
must  be  run  deeper  and  deeper,  working  the  soil 
up  fine  and  loose  deeply  as  possible  and  letting  the 
air  down  to  the  roots.  Where  the  cultivation  is 
done  with  wheel  hoes,  the  soil  can  be  loosened  to 
a much  greater  depth  if  it  is  first  gone  over  with  a 
hand  plow,  but  we  would  not  advise  the  planting 
of  the  deep-growing  kinds,  except  where  they  are 


ROOT  CROPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


25 


to  be  cultivated  by  horse  power,  as  the  soil  cannot 
be  stirred  deeply  enough  to  produce  the  best 
growth  in  them  with  the  wheel  hoe. 

Some  years  ago  carrots  and  beets  were  exten- 
sively sown  on  ridges ; that  is,  two  furrows  were 
cast  together  and  the  seed  sown  in  a drill  on  top 
of  this  ridge.  This  was  deemed  of  advantage  for 
several  reasons,  one  of  which  was  that  the  young 
seedlings  were  in  a well-drained  situation,  but  it 
frequently  happened,  if  they  were  planted  a little 
late,  the  soil  was  too  dry  for  them  to  germinate 
quickly  and  the  young  seedlings  sometimes  burned 
up ; the  main  advantage  of  the  ridges  was,  that 
horse  cultivation  could  be  done  at  once  without 
danger  to  the  young  roots,  as  they  were  safely 
elevated  and  w~ere  worked  with  the  hand  hoe  until 
well  started ; another  advantage  was,  that  in  har- 
vesting the  long-rooted  varieties  the  dirt  could  be 
plowed  away  from  one  side,  and  they  could  easily 
be  pulled,  as  the  ridge  prevented  them  from  pene- 
trating the  ground  so  deeply.  This  method  of 
planting  has  almost  entirely  disappeared,  as  the 
labor  involved  was  much  more  than  was  compen- 
sated by  the  advantages  gained. 

THINNING. 

This  should  be  done  as  soon  as  the  young  plants 
have  made  the  third  or  fourth  leaf,  and  only  one 
plant  should  be  left  in  a place ; where  the  seed  is 
in  clumps  or  hills,  all  but  the  best  one  must  be 
pulled  out  by  hand.  When  the  seed  is  in  continu- 


26 


HOW  TO  GROW 


ous  drills  it  can  be  clumped  to  the  proper  distance 
apart  with  a sharp,  narrow-bladed  hoe,  and  the 
balance  pulled  out  by  hand  a week  or  so  later. 
The  use  of  the  hoe  in  clumping  will  save  a great 
deal  of  hand  labor. 


CARROTS. 

These  rank  high  among  the  most  nutritious 
roots  for  feeding,  and  are  especially  valuable  for 
feeding  to  milking  cows.  Not  only  do  they  greatly 
increase  the  quantity  and  richness  of  the  milk, 
but  they  impart  that  rich  color  to  the  butter  which 
it  now  requires  to  make  it  salable  at  the  best 
figures,  and  for  which  the  creameries  and  many 
farmers  depend  on  artificial  colorings  that  are 
more  or  less  injurious  to  the  health  of  the  con- 
sumer. The  greatest  disadvantage  in  raising  car- 
rots for  winter  feeding  is  that,  without  they  are 
stored  in  well-ventilated  cellars  where  they  can  be 
well  aired  whenever  the  state  of  the  weather  will 
permit,  they  do  not  keep  well.  Where  they  can- 
not be  kept  in  this  manner,  we  would  advise  the 
raising  of  a sufficient  supply  to  feed  until  the  first 
or  fifteenth  of  January,  and  depending  on  the 
mangels  and  other  roots  after  that  date.  Unlike 
the  other  roots,  carrots  will  keep  better  if  the  roots 
are  in  a comparatively  green  and  growing  state 
when  harvested,  and  if  a slice  of  the  crown  is  cut 
off  when  they  are  topped,  it  will  keep  them  from 
sprouting,  which  they  are  very  apt  to  do  when  the 
top  is  left  on.  As  will  be  readily  seen  from  the 


ROOT  CROPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


27 


above  statement,  it  is  a matter  of  policy  not  to  sow 
the  crop  too  soon,  so  that  while  we  would  advise 
the  preparation  of  the  ground  early,  and  the  keep- 
ing of  it  worked  until  needed  for  planting,  we 
would  not  sow  the  seed  before  the  first  of  June, 
for  the  large-growing  varieties,  and  even  later  for 
the  small,  early  kinds. 

Carrots  can  be  grown  so  closely  together  that 
the  roots  become  flattened  against  each  other  when 
matured,  but  for  our  own  use  we  would  thin  out 
to  three  inches  apart  for  the  medium-sized  varie- 
ties and  to  four  and  five  inches  apart  in  the  row 
for  large  kinds.  The  carrot  delights  in  a rich, 
light  loam,  but  can  be  well  grown  in  almost  any 
of  the  heavier  soils,  providing  the  soil  is  not  too 
wet;  where  this  is  the  case,  it  returns  to  a root 
nearly  resembling  its  original  parent  and  becomes 
of  small  size,  woody  and  worthless  for  feeding 
purposes. 


VARIETIES  OF  ROOTS, 

GROWN  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 

CARROTS. 


CORELESS  HALF-LONG. 


CORELESS  HALF-LONG  CARROT.  CORELESS  LONG  RED  CARROT. 


This  is  a very  early  carrot  of  fine  quality ; the 
skin  is  smooth,  and  both  the  skin  and  the  flesh  are 
28 


CARROTS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


29 


very  rich  colored.  The  flesh  is  fine  grained,  of 
excellent  flavor,  and  entirely  without  core.  In 
the  young  or  early  state  it  is  of  fine  quality  for 
table  use. 


CORELESS  LONG  RED. 

A very  handsome  variety,  growing  from  twelve 
to  sixteen  inches  in  length,  and  from  two  to  three 
inches  in  diameter.  It  is  a stump-rooted  variety, 
being  of  large  diameter  throughout  its  length,  giv- 
ing a large  bulk  of  roots  for  the  amount  of  land 
occupied.  It  is  of  perfect  form,  has  a very  rich 
coloring,  and  is  of  excellent  quality  for  table  use. 
It  imparts  richness  to  the  milk  of  cows  fed  on  this 
variety,  and  greatly  improves  the  color  of  the 
butter. 

BURPEE’S  IMPROVED  LONG  ORANGE. 

This  is  a greatly-improved  strain  of  the  long 
orange,  the  quality  of  the  new  strain  being  much 
superior  to  the  old  sort,  which  was  generally 
grown  as  a field  variety  for  feeding  purposes  only. 
The  roots  grow  remarkably  smooth  and  uniform 
in  shape,  being  always  well  formed  and  average  of 
a larger  size  than  the  old  variety.  The  length  of 
the  root  is  about  six  times  its  diameter,  and  though 
it  penetrates  the  soil  deeply,  it  also  grows  about 
one-quarter  of  its  entire  length  above  ground, 
forming  a good  handle  by  which  to  pull  it  up 
when  harvesting.  It  is  a good  keeper,  and  forms 
a highly-nutritious  food  for  stock. 


30 


VARIETIES  OF 


DANVERS  HALF-LONG  ORANGE. 


This  variety  originated 
among  the  market  gardeners 
of  Danvers,  Mass.,  from  the 
same  source  as  the  widely- 


known  and  popular  yellow 
onion,  which  also  bears  the 
name  of  “ Danvers.”  In  that 
locality  the  raising  of  carrots 
is  a special  feature,  and 
twenty  to  thirty  tons  per  acre 
is  not  considered  as  an  unusu- 
ally large  crop.  The  smooth, 
symmetrical  form  of  this  va- 
riety is  well  shown  in  the 
illustration,  and  it  is  claimed 


by  the  Danvers  growers  that  SM 

DANVERS  J ° Ip— 

half-long  ft  wj]]  yield  the  greatest  bulk  sly 
per  acre,  with  the  shortest  W' 
length  of  root,  of  any  carrot  now  in  culti-  E 
vation.  The  root  is  of  rich  dark  orange  \ 
color,  and  is  especially  valuable  to  the 
dairy  farmer  who  makes  butter  and  cheese  * 
from  his  milk,  adding  greatly  to  their  ^Yoved 
rich  coloring.  This  variety  does  well,  0RL™<?E 
and  produces  large  crops  under  widely-  CAKROT- 
varying  condition  of  soil,  and,  owing  to  the  short- 
ness of  its  roots,  it  is  very  easily  harvested. 

LONG  RED  ALTRINGHAM. 

This  kind  is  similar  to  the  Long  Orange  in 
growth,  but  the  flesh  is  of  a bright  red  color.  It 


CARROTS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


31 


is  also  more  slender  in  shape,  and  while  some- 
times attaining  a length  of  twenty  inches  in  deep, 
rich-soil,  grows  but  one  or  two  inches  above  the 
surface.  The  flesh  is  of  a very  fine  quality  for 
table  use,  but  owing  to  its  great  length,  it  requires 
a deep,  rich  soil  to  produce  a large  crop,  and  a 
great  amount  of  labor  to  harvest  the  roots,  which 
frequently  break  in  the  digging. 

LARGE  WHITE  VOSGES. 

This  variety  is  a large-growing  kind,  that  is 
especially  suited  for  soils 
that  are  not  very  deep.  It 
is  very  productive,  easily 
pulled  and  is  a good  keep- 
ing variety  when  stored 
for  winter  feeding.  This 
carrot,  unlike  the  White 
Belgian,  grows  entirely 
below  the  surface.  It  is 
very  broad  at  the  top,  aver- 
aging from  four  to  five 
inches  in  diameter,  and  is 
about  eight  inches  in 
height,  tapering  gradually 
from  the  shoulder  to  the  point  of  the  root.  Grow- 
ing beneath  the  surface,  the  entire  skin,  as  well  as 
the  flesh,  is  pure  white  in  color. 

LARGE  YELLOW  BELGIAN. 

This  variety  attains  about  the  same  length  as 
the  White  Belgian,  but  does  not  equal  it  in  diam- 


32 


VARIETIES  OF 


eter,  which  is  only  about  one-sixth  of  its  length. 
The  root  grows  about  one-quarter  of  its  entire 
length  above  the  surface,  and  this  portion  is  of  a 
deep  green  color,  while  the  portion 
growing  below  the  surface  is  of  a 
pale  orange  color.  It  is  a good 
keeper,  and  cattle  fed  upon  it  soon 
attest  its  nutritious  properties. 


LARGE  WHITE  BELGIAN. 


This  attains  the  largest  size,  and 
will  yield  more  in  bulk  than  any 
other  kind  grown.  A prominent 
French  writer  states,  that  there 
is  hardly  a farm  in  France  upon 
which  this  carrot  is  not  grown  for 
feeding  stock,  especially  horses. 
The  root  is  thick  and  long,  grow- 
ing from  one-quarter  to  one-third 
of  its  1 ength  above  the  surface.  The 
flesh  is  of  a light  green  or  bronze 
color  above  the  soil,  while  that 
portion  growing  underground  is 
a yellowish  white.  This  is  the 
heaviest  cropping  variety,  in  this 
respect  rivaling  the  mangel  wur- 
zel,  and,  owing  to  its  growth  partly 
above  ground,  the  crop  can  be 
pulled  by  hand,  if  a furrow  is 
plowed  close  to  the  side  of  the  row 
to  loosen  the  soil.  It  produces  a large  crop  of 
leaves,  which  make  an  excellent  soiling  food  if 


LARGE  WHITE 
BELGIAN. 


CARROTS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


33 


fed  when  the  crop  is  harvested.  This  variety 
should  be  gathered  before  there  is  danger  of  frost, 
as  a very  light  frost  (four  or  five  degrees)  will 
greatly  injure  its  quality  and  value  for  feeding 
purposes 

OX-HEART  OR  GUERANDE. 

This  new  carrot  comes  from  France,  and  is  a 
decided  advance  in  shape,  as  it  combines  large 
bulk  with  a medium  length  of  root,  as  will  be  seen 


OX-HEART  CARROT. 


from  the  illustration.  It  is  a thick  carrot,  five  or 
six  inches  in  length,  three  to  four  inches  in  diam- 
eter at  the  shoulder,  and  very  blunt  at  the  bottom 
of  the  root.  It  grows  rapidly,  and  single  roots 
often  weigh  a pound  each  when  full  grown.  It  is  a 
splendid  variety  for  a light  or  shallow  soil,  and 
will  produce  large  crops  when  the  soil  is  well 
manured.  The  neck  of  the  root  is  very  fine,  and 
the  few  leaves  are  of  small  size,  which  enables  them 
3 


34 


CARROTS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


to  be  grown  very  closely  in  the  row.  The  color  of 
the  root  is  orange  red  on  the  outside,  shading  to 

yellow  at  the  core.  It  is 
of  excellent  quality  for 
table  use,  being  tender 
and  fine  flavored. 

SAINT  VALLERY. 

This  is  a large,  handsome 
variety,  of  intermediate 
length.  The  appearance 
of  the  roots  is  very  hand- 
some, as  they  grow  very 
regular  and  smooth,  and 
are  entirely  free  from  all 
small  rootlets.  They  are 
of  good  size,  being  from 
ten  to  twelve  inches  in 
length  and  two  to  three 
inches  in  diameter  at  the 
top,  tapering  gradually 
from  the  shoulder  to  the 

SAINT  VALLERY  CARROT.  ^ Qf  ^ ^ The  leaveS 

are  small  and  very  few  for  the  size  of  the  roots,  and 
it  is  a very  valuable  kind,  not  only  for  its  great 
productiveness,  but  also  for  its  rich,  handsome 
color  and  the  thick,  sweet  and  tender  flesh. 


MANGEL  WURZELS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING.  35 

SUGAR  BEETS  AND  MANGEL 
WURZELS. 

Taking  into  consideration  the  value  of  these 
roots  for  feeding,  the  ease  with  which  they  can  be 
grown,  the  enormous  bulk  they  yield  per  acre,  and 
the  widely-varying  conditions  of  soil  and  climate 
under  which  they  can  be  grown,  they  are,  without 
doubt,  the  most  valuable  roots  to  grow  for  feeding 
purposes.  The  question  is  frequently  asked  us, 
“ What  is  the  difference  between  the  sugar  beets 
and  the  mangel  wurzels?”  For  stock  feeding 
there  is  no  difference,  excepting  that  some  of  the 
best  varieties  of  the  sugar  beets  contain  a higher 
percentage  of  rich  saccharine  food  than  a poor, 
coarse-fleshed  mangel,  that  has  been  grown  for  its 
large  size,  under  the  mistaken  idea  that  a large 
bulk  of  roots  is  the  only  object  to  be  sought  in 
growing  them. 

The  making  of  sugar  from  beets  has  created  a 
demand  for  beets  the  flesh  of  which  is  entirely 
white  or  colorless,  and  this  demand  has  resulted 
in  the  production  of  mangels  which  grow  nearly 
their  whole  length  under  the  surface,  and  the  flesh 
of  which  is  either  entirely  or  very  nearly  colorless, 
and  these  kinds  are  known  by  the  special  name  of 
Sugar  Beets.  The  advantages  of  these  beets  to 
the  sugar  manufactories  will  readily  be  seen,  as 
the  process  of  clarifying  the  sugar  is  very  much 
simplified  by  using  the  light-fleshed  beets. 

We  also  wish  to  call  the  attention  of  the  root 


36 


VARIETIES  OF 


grower  to  the  large-growing  varieties  of  what  are 
known  as  table  beets,  of  which  we  describe  three 
varieties,  and  which,  while  they  do  not  produce 
the  bulk  of  crop  per  acre  which  can  be  grown  in 
the  form  of  mangels,  we  think  surpass  them  in  the 
amount  of  rich  food  taken  from  the  same  area. 
As  these  beets  do  not  attain  such  large  size,  they 
can  be  grown  much  closer  together,  and  where  the 
wheel  hoe  is  depended  upon  for  cultivation  the 
rows  can  be  made  as  close  as  eighteen  inches 
apart,  thus  giving  a very  large  yield  per  acre  if 
the  ground  is  properly  enriched.  The  seed  of 
beets  should  be  sown  early  and  should  be  of  the 
best  quality;  this  early  sowing  of  the  seed  not 
only  gives  the  roots  longer  time  to  grow  and  ripen 
properly,  but  the  seed  germinates  much  more 
evenly  in  the  moist  condition  of  the  soil  in  the 
early  spring.  We  would  advise  having  the  seed 
sown  by  the  fifteenth  or  twentieth  of  June,  and  if 
it  can  be  done  earlier  it  will  be  of  advantage.  It 
has  been  claimed  that  the  mangel  seed  does  not 
germinate  reliably,  leaving  blank  spaces  in  the 
rows,  but  we  have  never  noticed  this  in  our  own 
sowings  made  as  above,  and  we  think  the  trouble 
is  largely  with  the  inferior  quality  of  the  seed. 
The  distance  apart  to  which  the  young  plants  are 
thinned  must  be  determined  by  the  diameter 
which  the  full-grown  roots  attain,  which,  of  course, 
varies  with  the  kind ; as  a general  rule,  we  would 
say  that  there  should  be  one  inch  at  least  of  clear 
space  between  each  perfected  beet  and  its  imme- 


BEETS  FOE  STOCK  FEEDING. 


37 


diate  neighbors.  From  their  manner  of  growth, 
the  root  growing  a good  portion  of  its  length 
above  the  soil,  beets  are  much  more  easily  har- 
vested than  the  varieties  of  carrots  and  parsnips, 
which  is  quite  an  item  to  be  considered  when  large 
crops  are  grown.  Where  blanks  occur  in  the  row, 
young  plants  can  be  transplanted  before  the  thin- 
ning out  is  done,  if  the  ground  is  sufficiently 
wet,  care  being  taken  that  the  tap  root  is  not 
injured;  the  transplanting  should  be  done  on  a 
rainy  day. 

VARIETIES  OF  BEETS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 

BURPEE’S  IMPROVED  BLOOD  TURNIP  BEET. 

This  is  a carefully-selected  strain  of  the  Early 
Blood  Turnip,  and  is  re- 
markable for  the  perfect 
symmetry  of  shape,  the 
freedom  from  small  fibrous 
roots  and  fine  quality. 

It  is  a splendid  table 
variety,  and  when  raised 
in  large  quantities  for  win- 
ter feeding  to  stock  should 
not  be  planted  too  early 
in  the  season,  as  a good 
crop  can  be  raised  if  plant- 
ed as  late  as  the  first  of 
July. 

LONG  SMOOTH,  BLOOD-RED  BEET. 

This  is  an  excellent  late  variety,  both  for  the 
table  and  for  cattle.  The  beets  are  long  and  free 


BURPEE’S  IMPROVED  BLOOD 
TURNIP  BEET. 


38 


VARIETIES  OF 


from  small  roots,  the  flesh  is  a deep  blood  red,  and 
is  very  sweet  and  tender.  It  can  be  planted 
earlier  than  the  preceding,  as  it  attains  a large 
size  and  well  resists  the  hot, 
dry  weather  of  the  summer. 
To  produce  a large  crop, 
the  seed  should  be  sown  not 
later  than  the  middle  of  June. 
These  beets  keepwell  through- 
out the  winter  when  carefully 
stored. 

B ASTI  AN’S  HALF-LONG  BEET. 

A handsome  variety,  of 
very  quick  growth,  being 
ready  for  table  use  with  the 
second  earliest.  If  planted 
about  the  middle  of  July,  it 
will  make  large,  fine  roots,  of 
rich  quality,  and  will  be  a 
very  valuable  addition  to  the 
winter  rations  of  the  stock. 
The  roots  do  not  penetrate 
the  soil  so  deeply  as  the  preceding  kinds,  while 
the  color  is  of  the  same  deep  blood  red. 

VARIETIES  OF  SUGAR  BEETS. 

WHITE  SILESIAN  SUGAR  BEET. 

This  is  the  original  variety  from  which  all  the 
various  large  white  mangels,  or  sugar  beets,  have 
been  raised.  The  root  grows  almost  entirely  under- 
ground, is  about  ten  inches  in  length  and  about 


SUGAR  BEETS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


39 


three  inches  in  diameter  in  the  average  specimens. 
While  the  kinds  known  as  sugar  beets  do  not  attain 
the  size  of  mangels,  they  contain  nearly  twice  as 
much  available  food  for  stock  purposes  as  the 
coarser  mangel,  so  that  what  is  lost  in  bulk  is 
gained  in  quality,  and  the  relative  amount  of  food 
that  can  be  taken  from  the  soil  in  a crop  of  man- 
gels and  a crop  of  sugar  beets  is  about  the  same. 
Under  average  culture  in  a good  season,  this  vari- 
ety would  yield  about  fifteen  tons  per  acre,  and  the 
medium  and  small-sized  beets  would  contain  as 
high  as  ten  or  twelve  per  cent,  of  sugar. 

RED-TOP  SUGAR  BEET. 

This  is  a productive,  hardy 
and  symmetrically  shaped  va- 
riety that  is  very  extensively 
grown  in  France.  The  foliage 
is  abundant,  standing  erect,  so 
that  it  admits  of  close  cultiva- 
tion. The  root  is  slender,  being 
about  three  to  four  inches  in 
diameter  at  the  shoulder,  and 
tapers  gradually  to  a point,  re- 
sembling strongly  in  form  the 
St.  Vallery  carrot.  The  upper 
portion  of  the  root  is  rose  col- 
ored, while  the  lower  portion  is 
white.  Under  average  condi- 
tions, this  variety  will  yield  a 
crop  of  nearly  twenty  tons  to  the 
acre,  containing  about  twelve 
per  cent,  of  sugar. 


40 


VARIETIES  OF 


LANE'S  IMPROVED  IMPERIAL  SUGAR  BEET. 

This  is  the  most  popular  variety  and  the  best 
sugar  beet  to  grow  for  feeding  purposes,  as  it  will 


LANE’S  IMPROVED  IMPERIAL  NEW  GOLDEN  TANKARD  YELLOW- 

SUGAR  BEET.  FLESHED  MANGEL. 

equal  most  of  the  varieties  of  mangels  in  the 
amount  of  bulk  and  weight,  while  averaging  as 


MANGEL  WURZELS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING.  41 

high  as  eight  per  cent,  of  sugar  in  its  composition. 
One  specimen  of  this  variety  contained  as  high  as 
11.41  per  cent,  of  sugar  as  analyzed  by  the  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  (see  page  342,  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  Report  of  1886).  This  variety 
has  yielded  from  thirty  to  forty  tons  per  acre,  at 
the  cost  of  five  cents  per  bushel ! It  grows  to  a 
large  size,  is  free  from  small  roots,  and  the  crop  is 
very  easily  harvested.  The  flesh  is  a fine  white, 
and  is  very  crisp,  tender  and  sweet. 

VARIETIES  OF  MANGEL  WURZELS. 

GOLDEN  TANKARD  YELLOW-FLESHED  MANGEL. 

This  new  and  distinct  variety  is  a most  im- 
portant addition  to  our  list  of  roots  for  stock 
feeding;,  as  it  contains  a smaller  percentage  of 
water  and  a larger  percentage  of  sugar  than  any 
other  variety  of  mangel.  A special  feature  is  the 
rich,  deep  yellow  color  of  the  flesh,  the  rich  ap- 
pearance of  which  is  fully  sustained  by  its  nutri- 
tious and  milk-producing  qualities.  In  England, 
where  roots  are  very  extensively  grown  for  feed- 
ing, it  is  considered  indispensable  for  dairy  pur- 
poses. Large  dairy  farmers  state  that  they  are 
not  only  able  to  obtain  a higher  price  per  gallon 
for  milk  from  cows  fed  on  this  mangel,  but  also 
that  the  cows  are  in  a much  healthier  and  better 
condition  fed  on  hay  and  the  Golden  Tankard  than 
when  fed  entirely  on  hay  (see  chapter  on  feeding.) 
Sheep  fed  on  this  variety  thrive  far  better  than  on 
other  kinds,  and  if  the  Golden  Tankard  is  fed  to 


42 


VARIETIES  OF 


them  mixed  with  other  mangels,  the  sheep  will 
pick  out  every  piece  of  it  before  touching  the 
others.  On  account  of  its  peculiar  shape  it  can  be 
left  very  close  together  in  the  rows,  therefore  giv- 
ing the  largest  number  of  beets  to  the  row.  In 
England,  where  the  summer  is  moist  and  heavy 
manuring  is  practiced,  it  has  yielded  upward  of 
seventy-five  tons  per  acre.  As  will  be  seen  from 
the  illustration,  it  grows  partly  above  ground,  and 
can  be  harvested  very  easily  and  quickly. 

NEW  KINVER  YELLOW  GLOBE  MANGEL. 

A writer  in  the  Lon- 
don Times  says  of  this 
variety : “ This  splendid 
variety  possesses  most 
distinctive  features  in 
size,  shape  and  color. 
Unlike  the  ordinary 
Globe  Mangel,  it  is  of 
greater  width  at  the  top 
or  shoulder  than  at  the 
middle  of  the  bulb, 
whence  it  gradually 
tapers  to  a perfect  tap 
root.  Its  skin,  which  is 
as  fine  as  that  of  an 
apple,  is,  as  far  as  it 

NKW  KINVER  YELLOW  GLOBE  MANGEL.  penetratCS  tile  Soil,  Of  a 

bright  orange  tint.  It  is  of  superb  quality  and 
an  enormous  cropper,  the  great  weight  of  eighty- 


MANGEL  WURZELS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING.  43 

four  tons  per  acre  having  been  grown  of  it.”  To 
this  description  we  would  only  add  that  it  is  one 
of  the  very  best  strains  of  Yellow  Globe  mangels 
in  cultivation,  both  for  its  high-feeding  value  and 
the  enormous  weight  of  roots  that  can  be  produced 
per  acre  under  good  cultivation. 

LARGE  YELLOW  OBERNDORF  MANGEL. 

This  variety  has  lately  been  introduced  .from 


LARGE  YELLOW  ORERNDORF  MANGEL. 


Germany,  where  it  has  been  grown  for  many  years, 
and  is  very  highly  prized  by  all  dairy  farmers.  It 


44 


VARIETIES  OF 


is  a very  heavy  cropper,  as  the  roots  grow  to  a 
large  size.  As  will  be  seen  from  the  illustration, 
it  is  particularly  adapted  to  light  or  shallow  soils, 
producing  good  crops  where  the  long  varieties 
will  not  succeed,  and  their  peculiar  shape  and 
mode  of  growth  render  it  a very  easy  matter  to 
harvest  them.  In  color  they  are  a bright  yellow; 
they-are  very  nutritious  and  are  highly  relished 
by  the  cattle. 

YELLOW  OR  ORANGE  GLOBE  MANGEL. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  generally  grown  of  all 
the  different  varieties  of  mangels,  as  it  is  very 
productive,  easily  pulled  and  an  excellent  keeper 
when  stored  in  heaps  for  winter  use.  It  is  spheri- 
cal in  shape  and  is  of  an  orange  yellow  color, 
though  the  portion  growing  above  the  surface  is 
tinged  with  green.  It  is  well  supplied  with  erect 
green  leaves,  but  not  so  many  as  would  interfere 
with  the  bulbs  ripening  thoroughly.  The  flesh  of 
the  root  is  white,  firm  and  sugary,  and  cattle  are 
particularly  fond  of  it. 

RED  GLOBE  MANGEL. 

This  variety  does  not  attain  to  the  large  size 
characteristic  of  most  mangels,  but  is  remarkable 
for  its  earliness  and  its  smooth,  symmetrical,  globe- 
shaped  roots.  The  roots  are  seldom  over  eight 
inches  in  length,  but  the  length  is  fully  equaled 
by  the  diameter,  and  as  they  can  be  grown  very 
closely  together  they  make  as  large  a bulk  per 
acre  as  the  sugar  beets;  and  on  account  of  the 


MANGEL  WURZELS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING.  45 

earliness  with  which  they  mature,  a good  crop  of 
them  can  be  grown  as  a second  crop  on  rich  ground 
if  they  can  be  sown  by  the  middle  of  July. 

YELLOW  OYOID  MANGEL. 

This  is  a very  handsome  olive-shaped  variety. 
It  has  all  the  good  qualities  of  the  Yellow  Globe 
Mangel,  and  at  the  same  time  yields  a much 
heavier  crop.  It  is 
an  excellent  variety 
for  limestone  soils.  It 
is  very  productive, 
and  as  it  grows  fully 
two-thirds  of  its 
length  above  the  sur- 
face it  is  very  easily 
pulled.  The  skin  is 
an  orange  yellow, 
while  the  flesh  is 
white,  firm  and  high- 
ly nutritious.  The 
quality  of  this  beet 
is  so  rich  that,  owing 
to  this  and  the  fact 
that  they  will  pro- 
duce twice  the  bulk 
of  sugar  beets  on 
the  same  area,  the 
amount  of  food  per  YELL0W  0V0ID  MANGEL 

acre  that  can  be  taken  from  the  soil  in  this  variety 
exceeds  that  in  a crop  of  sugar  beets. 


46 


VARIETIES  OF 


MAMMOTH  PRIZE  LONG  RED  MANGEL. 


MAMMOTH  PRIZE  LONG  RED 
MANGEL. 


This  is  the  heaviest 
cropping  and  possesses 
the  finest  feeding  quality 
of  the  long  mangels.  It 
grows  to  an  immense  size, 
single  roots  weighing 
from  twenty  to  thirty 
pounds  each,  and  is  al- 
ways of  very  fine  texture 
and  good  quality.  It  is 
remarkable  for  the  broad 
shoulder  and  massive 
shape  of  the  root,  by 
which  great  weight  is  ob- 
tained, without  that 
coarseness  inherent  in 
unimproved  strains  of 
seed.  This  variety  has 
produced  from  sixty  to 
seventy-five  tons  of  roots 
per  acre,  and  from  its  fine 
quality  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  for  feeding  to 
cattle.  At  the  Smithfield 
Club  Cattle  Show,  in  Eng- 
land, specimens  of  this 
variety  were  exhibited 
weighing  fifty  pounds 
each. 


PARSNIPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


47 


PARSNIPS. 


These  are  well  known  as  a table  delicacy,  but 
their  value  for  the  purpose  of  feeding  cows  and 
cattle  is  but  little  appreciated.  The  parsnip  is 
rich  in  saccharine  food,  which  adds  greatly  to  the 
richness  of  the  milk  when  fed  to  cows,  while  the 
fresh  succulent  roots  increase 
the  flow  of  milk  as  greatly  as 
does  the  use  of  fresh  green 
food  in  the  spring.  The  pars- 
nip is  especially  valuable  for 
this  purpose  from  its  extreme 
hardiness,  as  the  roots  can  be 
left  in  the  ground  all  winter 
and  improve  in  quality  by  the 
continued  freezing.  They  can 
be  dug  as  wanted  when  the 
ground  thaws  in  the  spring,  and 
will  bridge  over  a gap  between 
the  end  of  the  carrots  and  beets 
stored  for  winter  feeding  and 
the  fresh  soiling  crops  of  later 
spring  and  early  summer. 

* o J IMPROVED  GUERNSEY  PARS- 

NIP. 


VARIETIES  OF  PARSNIPS. 


IMPROVED  GUERNSEY. 

Four  years  ago  we  secured  twenty-five  pounds 
of  seed  of  this  greatly  improved  and  remarkably 
fine  kind,  from  a seed  grower  in  New  York,  a 


48 


VARIETIES  OF 


portion  of  which  we  distributed  among  our  cus- 
tomers for  trial,  all  of  whom  were  unanimous 
in  praising  the  very  choice  quality  of  this 
parsnip.  The  roots  do  not  grow  as 
deeply  as  in  the  Hollow  Crown  Pars- 
nip, but  are  very  bulky,  we  having 
just  dug  specimens  measuring  fully  five 
inches  in  diameter  at  the  shoulder. 
This  is  of  great  advantage  in  growing 
them  for  stock  feeding,  as  they  not 
only  yield  a greater  bulk  per  acre,  but 
are  much  more  easily  harvested.  The 
roots  are  smooth  and  free  from  small 
rootlets,  while  the  flesh  is  of  rich,  fine 
flavor,  and  free  from  any  core. 

LONG  SMOOTH  OR  HOLLOW  CROWN. 

This  variety  is  the  one  most  generally 
grown ; it  is  a great  cropper,  tender  and 
sugary.  The  roots  are  of  large  size  and 
penetrate  the  soil  deeply,  and  while  it  is 
an  excellent  parsnip  it  is  not  so  satisfac- 
tory as  the  Improved  Guernsey. 


RUTA  BAGAS. 


These  are  the  Swedish  or  Russian  turnips,  but 
as  they  grow  much  larger  in  size,  require  a longer 
season  in  which  to  grow,  and  are  of  greater  value 
for  feeding  purposes  than  the  ordinary  turnips; 
we  will  treat  on  their  culture,  merits  and  varieties 


RUTA  BAGAS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


49 


in  a separate  chapter.  Great  care  must  be  taken 
in  feeding  rata  bagas  and  turnips  to  milking  cows, 
especially  the  coarser  and  larger  growing  varie- 
ties, or  they  will  impart  a strong  taste  to  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  dairy,  and  will  greatly  injure  the  sale 
of  the  butter.  While  they  are,  for  this  reason,  of 
doubtful  value  to  the  dairy  farmer  for  feeding  to 
cows  in  profit,  for  the  purpose  of  feeding  to  cows 
which  have  gone  dry  before  calving,  and  to  stock 
kept  for  fattening,  they  form  a healthy,  cheap  and 
highly  nutritious  food. 

The  ground  for  raising  the  ruta  bagas  is  pre- 
pared and  sown  in  the  same  manner  as  for  beets 
or  carrots,  and  their  general  culture  is  the  same. 
They  require  a richer  soil  and  heavier  manuring 
than  the  turnip,  and  the  seed  should  be  sown  from 
the  middle  of  June  to  the  middle  of  July. 

The  ruta  baga  is  a splendid  keeper  when  stored, 
and  should  be  kept  until  the  other  roots,  except- 
ing the  parsnip,  have  all  been  fed. 

VARIETIES  OF  RUTA  BAGAS. 

LARGE  WHITE. 

Remarkable  for  its  nutritious  properties,  hard 
flesh  and  long  keeping.  It  grows  to  a large  size, 
and  is  very  rich  and  sweet  flavored.  It  is  superior, 
both  for  table  use  and  for  stock  feeding.  Owing 
to  its  hard  flesh  and  long  keeping  qualities,  it  is 
invaluable  for  use  in  the  late  spring  months.  This 
variety  should  be  sown  late  (about  the  middle  of 
July)  to  have  it  in  perfection. 

4 


50 


VARIETIES  OF 


LAING’S  IMPROVED  STRAP-LEAVED  RUT  A BAGA. 

The  bulb  of  this  variety  is  round,  being  almost 
a perfect  globe.  The  portion  of  the  root  growing 
above  the  surface  is  of  a purplish-red  color.  This 
kind  is  especially  distinguished  from  the  other 
varieties  of  ruta  bagas  by  its  having  the  leaves 
entire.  It  matures  early  and  is  of  good  table 
quality,  the  yellow  flesh  being  rich  and  fine 
grained. 

BURPEE’S  IMPROVED  PURPLE  TOP  YELLOW  RUTA  BAGA. 

This  magnificent 
Swede  is  the  result 
of  judicious  selection, 
and  is  the  hardiest, 
most  productive  and 
the  most  nutritious 
variety  in  cultivation. 
It  is  a large  purple  top, 
yellow-fleshed  variety ; 
the  shape  is  oval,  with 
a single  tap  root,  the 
bulb  being  free  from 
small  fibrous  rootlets. 
The  neck  is  free  from 
coarse,  hard  flesh,  and 
for  uniformity  of  crop- 
BAGA.  ping,  and  good  keep^ 

ing  qualities,  it  is  superior  to  all  other  Swedes. 
It  produces  a very  heavy  weight  per  acre,  and 
keeps  sound  and  good  until  late  in  the  spring, 


TURNIPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


51 


while  the  flesh  is  always  fine  grained,  sweet,  and 
rich  in  flavor. 

IMPERIAL  HARDY. 


A purple-topped  variety, 
growing  to  a large  size.  It 
has  a single  tap  root  and 
small  fine  leaves.  It  has  a 
fleshy  top,  the  leaf  stems 
breaking  almost  immediately 
above  the  crown  of  the  bulb, 
and  is  perfectly  free  from 
any  hard,  coarse  flesh  at  the 
roots.  It  is  a strong,  robust 
grower,  and  is  a certain  crop- 
per. 


IMPERIAL  HARDY  RUTA  BAGA. 


TURNIPS. 


A large  crop  of  turnips  can  be  grown  on  a sandy 
soil  where  other  roots  would  not  succeed  ; they  can 
also  be  grown  as  a second  crop  to  follow  such 
grains  as  are  not  sown  with  grass  or  after  other 
early  crops,  while  in  some  sections  a crop  of  turnips 
is  raised  by  broadcasting  the  seed  among  the  corn 
after  the  cultivator  has  been  used  for  the  last  time. 
In  these  cases  where  they  are  grown  as  a second 
crop,  the  heavy  manure  which  has  been  applied 
for  the  first  crop  will  serve  to  produce  a large 
crop  of  turnips  as  well.  Thus  the  turnip  crop  is 
raised  at  very  small  expense,  the  only  items  being 


52 


VARIETIES  OF 


the  small  outlay  for  seed  and  the  labor  of  prepar- 
ing the  soil  and  harvesting  the  bulbs.  It  is  these 
advantages,  combined  with  the  ease  with  which  the 
crop  can  be  stored  and  kept  for  winter  use,  which 
give  the  turnips  their  value  when  compared  with 
other  roots.  In  addition  to  the  advantages  already 
named,  the  turnip  crop  is  sown  and  cultivated  at 
a time  when  the  rush  of  spring  sowing  and  har- 
vest work  are  over,  and  there  is  not  the  same 
necessity  for  early  harvesting  the  bulbs  as  with 
the  mangels,  as  they  are  not  injured  by  light  frosts. 
Thus  both  the  planting  and  harvesting  come  at  a 
leisure  time,  which  enables  the  farmer  to  profit- 
ably grow  these  as  a root  crop  where  the  raising 
of  carrots  and  mangels  would  involve  additional 
expenditure  for  labor. 

While,  as  just  stated,  land  that  has  been  well 
manured  for  the  first  crop  will  produce  a heavy 
crop  of  turnips  without  any  further  enriching,  it 
might  be  of  advantage  to  sow  two  or  three  hun- 
dred pounds  of  a good  superphosphate  per  acre, 
broadcast,  and  harrow  well  in  before  sowing  the 
seed,  as  it  will  help  them  to  a quick,  early  growth. 
Do  not  apply  more  than  the  quantity  named,  for, 
while  turnips  grown  entirely  with  commercial 
fertilizers  attain  a quick  growth,  large  size  and 
handsome  appearance,  their  quality  and  feeding 
value  are  greatly  deteriorated,  nor  do  they  keep 
nearly  so  well  as  those  grown  with  barnyard 
manure. 

As  generally  grown  in  this  country,  the  ground 


TURNIPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


53 


to  be  planted  in  turnips  is  thoroughly  worked  and 
made  fine,  the  seed  is  then  broadcasted  and  rolled 
in  and  they  receive  no  further  attention  until 
the  crop,  which  consists  of  all  sizes  of  roots,  as 
they  have  had  more  or  less  room  to  stand  and 
grow  in,  is  ready  for  harvesting.  While  this  is 
the  only  way  in  which  they  can  be  grown  in  con- 
nection with  a standing  crop,  such  as  corn,  where 
both  of  the  crops  occupy  the  ground  at  the  same 
time,  we  think  that  where  the  ground  has  been 
cleared  of  the  preceding  crop,  it  is  much  more 
profitable,  taking  into  account  the  largely  increased 
bulk  of  the  crop  and  the  improved  quality  and 
size  of  the  individual  bulbs,  to  sow  the  seeds  in 
drills  as  closely  as  they  can  be  worked.  The  young 
plants  are  then  thinned  out  with  a sharp  hoe  when 
they  have  shown  the  third  leaf,  and  each  has  suf- 
ficient room  to  become  fully  developed,  and  no 
blank  spaces  are  left,  as  is  frequently  the  case  with 
broadcasted  seed.  The  soil  is  kept  well  stirred 
and  all  weeds  killed,  by  frequent  cultivation;  the 
soil  being  in  a fine,  loose  condition,  enables  the 
turnip  to  grow  rapidly,  so  that  the  flesh  is  much 
finer  in  quality  and  the  roots  attain  a much  supe- 
rior size.  To  secure  a large  crop,  the  seed  should 
be  sown  as  soon  after  the  first  of  July  as  it  is  pos- 
sible to  prepare  the  ground  in  good  order  for  sow- 
ing, although  large  crops  may  be  grown  from  seed 
sown  as  late  as  the  middle  of  August,  if  an  early 
variety  is  sown.  It  frequently  happens  that  at 
this  season  of  the  year  the  soil  when  prepared  for 


54 


VARIETIES  OF 


sowing  the  turnip  seed  is  nearly  or  perfectly  dry ; 
in  this  case  the  seed  should  be  sown  as  the  ground 
is  made  ready  and  well  rolled  in.  It  will  then 
germinate  without  much  moisture,  and  the  young 
plants  will  take  advantage  of  the  first  good  shower 
to  start  into  a quick  growth.  The  rule  to  be  fol- 
lowed in  rolling  all  seed  is  that  the  drier  the  sur- 
face of  soil  is  the  more  compactly  it  must  be 
firmed  around  the  seed,  while  if  the  soil  were 
quite  moist  it  would  be  sufficient  to  lightly  cover 
the  seed;  any  rolling  or  packing  of  the  soil  while 
in  this  latter  state  would  make  the  surface  hard 
and  lumpy. 

If,  when  the  young  turnips  or  ruta  bagas  first 
appear,  they  are  attacked  by  the  black  turnip  fly, 
a slight  dressing  of  land  plaster  or  air-slaked  lime 
should  be  broadcasted  over  the  leaves  early  in  the 
morning,  while  they  are  still  wet  with  the  heavy 
dew,  care  being  taken  not  to  apply  it  heavily 
enough  to  burn  up  or  destroy  the  young  plants. 

VARIETIES  OF  TURNIPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 

EXTRA  EARLY  PURPLE-TOP  MILAN  TURNIP. 

This  splendid  new  turnip  is  the  earliest  in  culti- 
vation. It  is  fully  two  weeks  earlier  than  the 
purple-top  strap-leaf,  the  latter  being  the  excellent 
“ Red-topped  ” kind  that  has  been  most  exten- 
sively grown  for  table  purposes.  The  bulb  of  the 
Early  Milan  is  very  flat,  of  good  size,  smooth,  deli- 
cate skin  and  handsome  appearance.  The  flesh 
is  pure  white,  fine  grained,  and  very  delicate  in 


TURNIPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING.  55 

flavor,  and  the  roots  keep  all  winter.  With  ns 
the  past  season  (1887)  this  variety  has  produced 


EXTRA  EARLY  MILAN  TURNIP. 


the  largest  crop  and  the  finest  table  turnips  of  any 
table  variety  that  we  have  grown. 

A very  popular  variety  in  the  Southern  States. 

LARGE  YELLOW  OR  AMBER  GLOBE. 


YELLOW  OR  AMBER  GLOBE 
TURNIP. 


YELLOW  ABERDEE 


and  one  of  the  best  and  surest  croppers.  The 
bulbs  grow  to  a large  size,  while  the  rich  yellow 


56 


VARIETIES  OF 


flesh  is  solid,  fine  grained  and  sweet.  It  is  quite 
hardy,  and  keeps  in  excellent  condition  until  late 
in  the  Spring. 

YELLOW  ABERDEEN. 

This  variety  is  of  round  form,  with  pale  yellow 
flesh  of  fine  texture.  It  is  very  solid, -nutritious 
and  an  excellent  keeper.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
popular  varieties  for  feeding  purposes,  and  is  also 
of  excellent  quality  for  table  use  late  in  the  season. 

ROBERTSON’S  GOLDEN  BALL  OR  ORANGE  JELLY. 

The  flesh  of  this  variety  is  rich,  sweet  and  pulpy. 
It  is  of  quick  growth  and  an  excellent  keeper.  It 
is  fine  for  stock  feeding  and  for  table  use. 

POMERANIAN  WHITE  GLOBE. 

This  is  a quick,  strong-growing  kind,  with 
rough  leaves.  The  bulbs  are  of  fine  quality  for 


stock  feeding.  It  is  very  productive,  hardy,  and 
is  a splendid  autumn  variety. 


TURNIPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING.  57 

RED  TOP  STRAP  LEAVED. 

Very  similar  to 
the  White  Dutch, 
excepting  that  por- 
tion of  the  bulb 
which  grows  above 
the  surface  is  of  a 
bright  red  or  pur- 
ple color,  adding 
very  much  to  its 
attractive  appear- 
ance. It  is  very 
early,  and  stands 
for  some  time  with- 
out running  to 
seed  when  sown 
early  in  the  spring. 

The  flesh  is  pure  white,  fine-grained  and  of  mild 
flavor.  The  bulbs  can  be  kept  in  good  condition 
throughout  the  winter. 

EARLY  WHITE  FLAT  DUTCH. 

This  is  a strap-leaf  variety ; that  is,  the  foliage 
is  one  continuous  band  in  each  leaf,  and  not 
deeply  serrated,  as  in  some  of  the  other  varieties. 
The  bulbs  are  very  flat,  like  a broad  dish  in  shape, 
being  four  to  five  inches  in  diameter  and  only 
from  one  to  one  and  a half  inches  in  thickness. 
It  is  a very  early  variety  and  is  suitable  for  sowing 
late  in  the  season,  as  it  will  perfect  a crop  in  less 
time  than  most  other  kinds.  The  skin  and  flesh 


58 


VARIETIES  OF 


are  clear  white,  and  the  quality  of  the  flesh  is 
excellent,  being  sweet,  juicy,  and  of  mild  flavor. 

WHITE  GLOBE  STRAP  LEAVED. 

The  bulb  produced  by  this  new  variety  is  of  a 
perfect  globe  shape,  and  is  about  five  to  six  inches 
in  diameter.  The  smooth,  thin  skin  is  pure  white 
in  color,  as  is  also  the  flesh.  The  flesh  is  firm  and 
crisp,  and  of  remarkably  fine  quality.  The  leaves 
are  erect  in  growth  and  of  pale  green  color.  The 
roots  grow  quickly,  and  swell  into  the  globe 
shaped  bulbs  at  an  early  stage.  It  is  a very  hand- 
some and  valuable  variety,  surpassing  all  other 
round  white  turnips. 

RED  TOP  WHITE  GLOBE. 

This  is  one  of  the 
best  early  varieties 
grown,  and  has  become 
very  popular.  The 
bulbs  are  of  large  size 
and  rapid  growth.  The 
roots  are  globe-shaped 
as  in  the  preceding  kind 
with  the  upper  portion 
of  the  bulb  of  a bright 
red  or  purple  color.  The 
flesh  is  fine  grained, 
sweet,  solid,  and  of 
very  fine  quality.  It  is 
one  of  the  handsomest  and  most  attractive  varie- 
ties for  marketing ; it  is  ready  for  sale  early  in 


RED  TOP  WHITE  GLOBE  TURNIP. 


TURNIPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING, 


59 


EARLY  WHITE  PLAT  DUTCH  TURNIP. 


STRAP-LEAVED  WHITE  GLOBE  TURNIP. 


60 


VARIETIES  OF 


the  season,  and  keeps  in  good  condition  through- 
out the  winter. 

WHITE  EGG. 


WHITE  EGG  TURNIP. 


JERSEY  NAVET  TURNIP 


This  is  an  excellent  vari- 
ety for  early  or  late  use.  The 
roots  are  egg-shaped,  being 
about  one-third  greater  in 
length  than  in  breadth.  The 
skin  is  thin,  very  white  and 
very  smooth,  while  the  flesh 
is  pure,  white,  firm,  fine 
grained  and  delicately  fla- 
vored. It  grows  to  a good 
size  and  is  a good  keeper. 

JERSEY  NAVET. 

This  is  an  excellent  variety 
for  autumn  sowing,  as  the 
bulb  attains  maturity  in 
from  two  to  two  and  a-half 
months  after  sowing.  The 
bulb  is  nearly  cylindrical,  but 
is  larger  at  the  lower  end 
than  at  the  shoulder.  The 
roots  are  about  two  inches  in 
diameter  at  the  thickest  part. 
The  flesh  is  white,  very 
tender  and  sugary ; the  leaves 
are  numerous,  short,  and  of  a 
dark  shining  green.  The  roots 
become  hollow  if  allowed  to 
attain  too  large  a size. 


TURNIPS  FOR  STOCK  FEEDING. 


61 


LONG  WHITE,  OR  COWHORN. 

The  roots  of  this  variety  are  very 
long,  and  are  cylindrical  in  shape, 
tapering  to  a point  at  the  lower  ex- 
tremity. They  are  very  often  twisted 
or  bent  in  shape  after  the  manner 
implied  in  their  name.  The  roots 
grow  from  six  to  eight  inches  in 
length  and  are  from  two  to  three 
inches  in  diameter.  About  two  or 
three  inches  of  the  root  grows  above 
the  surface;  this  upper  portion  is 
cream  colored  or  even  bright  green 
sometimes,  while  the  portion  grow- 
ing beneath  the  surface  is  entirely 
white.  The  flesh  is  white,  fine 
grained  and  sugary. 


LONG  COWHORN 
TURNIP. 


SWEET  GERMAN. 

The  flesh  of  this  variety  is  white,  hard  and  firm, 
partaking  very  much  of  the  nature  of  a ruta  baga. 
It  must  be  sown  much  earlier  than  the  flat  tur- 
nip. In  the  autumn  and  early  winter  it  is  apt  to 
be  hard,  but  becomes  mellow  like  an  apple  by 
keeping. 


SELECTING  THE  VARIETIES  TO  GROW. 


Selecting  the  variety  to  be  grown  is  one  of  the 
most  important  points  in  connection  with  growing 
and  feeding  root  crops.  To  obtain  the  most  profit- 
able results,  it  must  not  only  be  the  variety  best 
suited  to  the  soil  and  the  one  that  can  be  grown 
at  the  lowest  cost  per  bushel,  but  must  also  pro- 
duce the  greatest  return  when  fed  to  the  cows  or 
fattening  stock. 

We  will  first  speak  of  the  choice  of  varieties  for 
feeding  in  the  dairy.  It  is  a generally  conceded 
fact,  which  we  will  speak  of  in  the  chapter  on  feed- 
ing, that  coarse,  rank  varieties  of  turnips  will  im- 
part a strong,  unpleasant  flavor  to  the  milk  or 
butter  when  fed  to  cows  in  profit.  We  think  that 
this  great  objection  could  be  largely  overcome  by 
raising  for  feeding  purposes  the  same  fine  varieties 
that  we  raise  for  table  use.  Not  only  is  the  flavor 
of  these  fine  varieties  much  milder  than  those 
generally  raised  for  feeding  purposes,  but  the 
quality  is  much  richer  and  sweeter,  and  these 
latter  properties  will  tend  to  make  the  milk  and 
butter  proportionately  richer  than  would  the 
coarser-fleshed  and  poorer-flavored  varieties.  In 
feeding  the  roots  to  milk  cows  the  period  between 
the  root  in  the  raw  state  and  the  consumption  of 
02 


SELECTING  THE  VARIETIES  OF  ROOTS.  63 


the  milk  or  butter  is  comparatively  brief,  and  it 
can  easily  be  seen  that  the  finer  the  quality  of  the 
root  the  finer  will  be  the  milk.  Not  only  would 
we  advise  the  dairy  farmer  to  grow  the  finest 
varieties  of  various  roots  for  the  above  reasons, 
but  because  the  dairy  farm  is  frequently  within 
reach  of  a market  where  he  could  dispose  of  a 
portion  of  his  root  crop  for  table  use  at  a price 
much  higher  than  what  they  would  be  worth  to 
feed,  and  if  the  amount  so  realized  were  subtracted 
from  the  cost  of  growing  the  crop  it  would  give 
him  the  balance  left  for  feeding  at  a still  lower 
cost  per  bushel.  Too  many  of  our  farmer  friends 
are  apt  to  commence  to  reason  at  the  other  end, 
and  think  because  the  article  is  good  for  table  use 
and  a limited  quantity  will  command  a good  price 
in  the  market,  that  it  is  too  valuable  to  feed  to 
cattle.  A glance  at  any  seedman’s  catalogue  will 
show  that  the  difference  in  the  cost  of  the  best 
varieties  of  seed  and  the  coarser  growing  kinds, 
good  only  for  feeding  purposes,  is  not  one-tenth  of 
a cent  per  bushel  in  a good  crop,  and  the  expense 
of  raising  the  two  kinds  is  in  other  respects  the 
same. 

Where  the  roots  are  to  be  fed  to  cattle,  sheep  or 
swine  for  fattening  purposes,  the  fine  flavor  is 
not  so  much  a matter  for  consideration,  as  the 
period  between  the  consumption  of  the  root  by 
the  steer  or  sheep  and  the  consumption  of  the 
meat  by  the  individual  is  much  longer ; but  even 
here  it  would  be  more  profitable  to  use  a kind 


64 


HARVESTING 


which  will  not  only  yield  the  largest  bulk  of  food, 
but  in  which  the  quality  shall  be  rich,  sweet  and 
nutritious  in  the  highest  degree,  as  it  will  natu- 
rally tend  to  increase  not  only  the  quantity  but  the 
quality  of  flesh  formed. 

HARVESTING. 

This  process,  where  the  crop  to  be  gathered  and 
stored  is  so  great  in  bulk,  should  be  carefully 
studied,  so  that  it  may  be  accomplished  with  the 
least  expenditure  of  time  and  labor.  As  the  tops 
of  all  the  root  crops  must  be  removed  before  stor- 
ing, the  question  arises  whether  it  can  best  be  done 
before  the  roots  are  pulled  or  afterwards.  The 
advantages  of  topping  before  gathering  are,  that 
the  roots  are  firmly  held  in  position  and  stand  in 
line  ready  for  the  operation,  so  that  the  operator 
has  the  advantages  of  having  both  hands  free  and 
can  proceed  along  the  row  very  rapidly,  while  if 
the  roots  have  been  pulled  and  thrown  in  rows  or 
heaps  he  must  reach  out  for  each  root  with  one  hand, 
grasp  it  tightly,  and  remove  the  top  with  the  other. 
On  the  other  hand,  where  the  tops  are  not  removed 
until  the  roots  have  been  pulled,  they  serve  as  a 
handle  by  which  the  root  can  be  lifted  from  the 
soil ; this  would  be  of  especial  advantage  in  the 
case  of  carrots  and  parsnips,  were  it  not  that  the 
top  generally  breaks  off,  leaving  the  root  still  fast 
in  the  ground.  On  the  whole,  we  would  prefer  to 
top  the  roots  and  remove  or  rake  into  windrows 
the  loose  leaves,  before  gathering  the  roots.  This 


BOOTS. 


65 


topping  is  done  in  a different  manner  for  each  of 
the  different  kinds  of  roots;  thus,  for  carrots  we 
use  a very  sharp  hoe,  passing  along  the  row  and 
cutting  a small  slice  of  the  crown  off  of  each  root; 
this  removes  the  leaves  and  crown  at  one  stroke, 
and,  as  stated  in  the  chapter  on  carrots,  checks  the 
tendency  to  sprout  when  stored.  For  beets  the 
leaves  are  gathered  in  a bunch  in  the  hand,  grasp- 
ing them  close  to  the  neck  of  the  bulb,  they  are 
then  twisted  or  wrenched  off,  as  if  cut  they  are 
liable  to  bleed,  which  would  tend  to  wither  and 
spoil  the  root.  The  leaves  should  be  thrown  in 
windrows  or  heaps  when  wrenched  from  the  bulbs, 
thus  saving  the  operation  of  raking.  For  topping 
ruta  bagas  and  turnips,  a large  knife  should  be 
used,  one  that  is  quite  heavy  and  having  a blade 
eight  to  ten  inches  in  length,  and  it  will  add  to 
the  speed  of  the  operation  if  it  is  kept  sharp.  The 
leaf  stalks  should  be  cut  from  one-half  to  one  inch 
above  the  bulb,  and  by  the  use  of  a heavy  knife, 
as  described,  they  can  be  removed  from  each  bulb 
by  a single  stroke.  Of  course,  this  method  is  only 
practicable  where  the  turnips  are  grown  in  drills; 
where  they  are  sown  broadcast  they  can  be  pulled 
and  thrown  in  heaps  and  then  topped  singly,  but 
the  latter  is  a much  more  laborious  operation. 

After  the  roots  are  topped,  all  those  which  grow 
a sufficient  portion  of  their  length  above  the 
surface  can  be  pulled  by  hand  and  loaded  directly 
into  wagons  or  put  into  baskets;  care  must  be 
taken  while  handling  the  roots  that  they  are 
5 


66 


STORING 


not  bruised,  or  they  will  start  to  rot.  Where  the 
roots  are  too  deep  in  the  soil  to  admit  of  pulling, 
the  plow  can  be  run  as  closely  to  the  row  as  pos- 
sible without  injuring  the  roots,  and  they  can  then 
be  dug  with  spades  and  digging  forks,  easily  and 
rapidly.  The  harvesting  and  storing  can  be  ac- 
complished much  more  rapidly,  and  the  roots  will 
be  much  cleaner-  and  will  keep  better,  if  gathered 
at  a time  when  the  soil  is  loose  and  comparatively 
dry,  as  it  will  then  be  all  shaken  off  by  the  re- 
peated handlings. 

The  beets  must  be  gathered  before  there  is  dan- 
ger of  severe  frost,  as  it  will  spoil  them  both  for 
keeping  and  feeding.  While  the  carrots  are  more 
hardy,  yet  for  the  reasons  above  stated,  that  is  the 
ease  of  harvesting  and  cleansing  them,  we  would 
dry  and  store  them  early,  for  when  the  frosts  come 
the  ground  will  be  wet  and  heavy,  increasing  the 
labor  of  digging  them  and  necessitating  the  wash- 
ing of  the  roots  before  they  can  be  fed.  The  tur- 
nips are  improved  by  light  frost,  and  should  be 
left  out  in  the  latitude  of  Philadelphia  until  about 
the  second  week  in  November,  or  until  there  is 
danger  of  the  ground  being  frozen  hard. 

STORING  THE  ROOTS. 

For  winter  storage  the  idea  generally  prevails 
that  expensive  and  elaborate  root  cellars  are  ne- 
cessary. While  we  concede  the  advantages  of  such 
facilities  for  storage,  we  claim  that  the  roots  can 
be  kept  in  as  good  condition  by  the  method  which 


ROOTS. 


67 


we  have  used  with  unvarying  success,  and  which 
is  practiced  by  the  leading  dairymen  of  the  vicin- 
ity. W e have  had  an  illustration  of  this  method 
made,  believing  that  it  will  greatly  help  the  readers 
to  clearly  understand  the  directions  for  storing 
roots  in  this  manner. 

A well-drained  location  is  selected,  and  clean 
straw  is  spread  on  the  ground  two  inches  in  depth, 
and  covering  a circle  about  four  feet  in  diameter  ; 
the  roots  are  then  stacked  on  this  straw  in  a pyramid 


Method  of  storing  roots  in  heaps.  S,  covering  bed  and  ventilating 
chimney  of  straw.  D,  covering  of  soil,  six  inches  thick. 


until  no  more  can  be  added  without  rolling  off. 
The  heap  of  roots  is  then  covered  with  two  inches 
of  straight  clean  straw,  which  is  drawn  together 
at  the  top  and  carried  up  one  foot  above  the  heap 
to  form  a ventilating  chimney.  This  chimney 
should  be  about  six  inches  in  diameter,  and  if 
properly  made  will  permit  the  escape  of  any 
gases  or  heat  arising  from  the  roots,  and  at  the 
same  time  will  keep  out  the  frost ; the  straw  is- 
then  covered  with  three  inches  of  soil,  as  shown  in 


68 


STORING 


the  illustration,  and  a slight  ditch  dug  round  the 
heap  to  carry  off  any  water  which  may  collect. 
When  there  is  danger  of  the  ground  freezing  hard, 
this  covering  of  soil  must  be  increased  until  it  is 
at  least  six  inches  in  depth. 

It  has  been  claimed  by  some  writers  that  the 
use  of  straw  or  litter  to  cover  the  roots,  as  here 
described,  causes  the  roots  on  the  outer  surface  of 
the  heap  to  rot  or  mould,  but  this  has  not  been 
our  experience,  and,  as  above  stated,  we  have  used 
this  method  for  beets  and  turnips,  and  have  never 
lost  any  from  this  cause.  We  have  always  been 
careful  to  use  straight,  clean  rye  straw,  and  are 
strongly  in  favor  of  this  manner  of  covering,  on 
account  of  the  complete  ventilation  that  it  insures. 
We  would  recommend  storing  the  entire  crop  in 
heaps  containing  from  fifteen  to  forty  bushels 
each,  so  that  when  a heap  is  opened,  its  whole  con- 
tents are  taken  into  the  barn  and  fed  before  another 
is  opened,  thus  insuring  their  keeping  in  good  con- 
dition. It  is,  however,  a common  practice  to  pile 
the  beets  or  turnips  in  long  heaps,  four  feet  broad, 
three  feet  in  height,  and  as  long  as  is  necessary 
to  contain  the  crop ; this  is  then  covered  directly 
with  soil,  adding  to  the  thickness  of  the  covering 
as  the  cold  weather  advances,  until  it  is  nearly  or 
quite  a foot  in  depth.  When  stored  in  this  man- 
ner, a drain  pipe  should  be  set  every  five  feet 
along  the  top  of  the  heap,  to  act  as  a ventilating 
chimney,  and  on  the  approach  of  severe  cold 
weather  these  must  be  stopped  up  with  straw. 


TOPS. 


69 


While  this  method  of  storing  can  be  more  quickly 
performed,  we  do  not  think  it  is  nearly  so  success- 
ful or  desirable  as  the  system  of  storing  in  smaller 
quantities  in  separate  heaps. 

Carrots  may  be  stored  in  the  same  manner,  but 
as  they  are  to  be  fed  at  the  beginning  of  the  win- 
ter, we  would  haul  as  many  as  can  be  conveniently 
stored  directly  into  the  barn,  putting  the  balance 
of  the  crop  into  ventilated  heaps,  as  above  directed. 

STORING  THE  TOPS. 

This  valuable  portion  of  the  crop  is  too  often 
allowed  to  go  to  waste,  and  where  not  wanted  for 
feeding,  should  either  be  hauled  into  the  manure 
yard,  to  increase  the  supply  of  fertilizers  or  should 
be  spread  on  the  ground  where  the  roots  were 
grown,  and  at  once  plowed  under.  The  tops  of  the 
root  crops  are  nearly  of  equal  value  for  feeding 
purposes  as  the  roots  themselves,  and  as  the 
weight  of  the  tops  is  nearly  one-third  of  that  of 
the  roots,  the  advantages  of  saving  them  to  feed 
will  at  once  be  seen.  The  tops  of  carrots  are  fed 
the  same  as  any  other  green  soiling  food,  and 
should  all  be  used  before  feeding  the  roots.  The 
leaves  of  the  beets  may  either  be  fed  in  a fresh, 
green  state  or  can  be  stored  and  cured  as  described 
for  the  turnip  leaves.  The  tops  of  the  mangels  and 
turnips,  if  required  for  feeding,  can  be  kept  for  a 
long  time  with  but  little  trouble.  A trench  should 
be  dug  in  a well-drained  situation,  five  feet  wide 
and  one  foot  in  depth,  the  length  being  regulated 


70 


FEEDING 


by  the  quantity  of  leaves  to  be  stored.  The  leaves 
should  be  dry,  and  should  be  spread  in  the  trench 
six  to  nine  inches  in  depth  ; they  should  be  laid  in 
evenly  and  regularly  and  should  be  gently  pressed 
down.  Then  sprinkle  salt  over  them  at  the  rate 
of  one  pound  for  each  square  yard  of  surface. 
x\nother  layer  of  tops  is  then*  added  and  more 
salt  sprinkled  on,  increasing  the  quantity  of  salt 
as  the  heap  rises.  The  heap  of  leaves  should  be 
rounded  and  brought  to  a ridge  at  the  top,  press- 
ing and  packing  them  down  as  you  proceed.  When 
the  heap  is  finished,  cover  with  one  or  two  inches 
of  clean,  straight  straw,  and  then  cover  the  whole 
with  earth,  as  in  storing  the  roots,  packing  the 
surface  of  the  soil  so  that  the  rain  will  not  pene- 
trate the  heap.  In  about  two  months  the  curing 
of  the  tops  will  be  complete  and  they  will  be  fit 
for  feeding.  They  will  be  brown,  but  not  the  less 
nourishing  or  profitable,  and  cows  fed  on  them 
will  soon  show  it  by  the  increased  richness  of  their 
milk. 

FEEDING. 

What  roots  to  raise  for  feeding,  the  farmer  must 
determine  from  his  soil  and  the  needs  of  his  mar- 
ket, but  where  the  question  is  one  of  supplying 
the  greatest  quantity  of  green  food  that  the  cow 
can  consume,  we  would  advise  the  growing  and 
feeding  of  a variety  of  roots.  Thus,  we  would 
divide  the  cultivated  crop  of  roots  into  one-third 
for  carrots  for  early  winter  feeding,  and  two-thirds 
of  mangels,  the  latter  to  be  followed  by  turnips, 


ROOTS. 


71 


raised  as  a second  crop,  as  described.  This  method 
not  only  insures  a constant  siipply,  but  gives  the 
cattle  the  widest  range  of  variety,  which  is  neces- 
sary to  maintain  their  relish  for  the  food  and  en- 
ables the  largest  quantity  to  be  fed.  In  the  matter 
of  quantity  that  can  be  fed,  the  advantages  of  roots 
over  hay  can  readily  be  seen,  as,  according  to  the 
best  authorities,  a cow  can  only  digest  three  pounds 
of  the  best  hay  per  day  to  one  hundred  pounds  of 
her  live  weight,  while  as  high  as  one  hundred 
pounds  of  roots  per  day  have  been  fed  to  cows, 
with  no  injurious  results.  We  do  not,  however, 
recommend  the  feeding  of  such  large  quantities 
of  roots,  as  the  cow  soon  tires  of  them  under  such 
circumstances,  and  all  their  good  properties  are 
lost.  The  quantity  generally  given  is  a large 
scoop  shovelful  .of  the  chopped  root  to  each 
animal  night  and  morning,  accompanied  by  four 
quarts  of  corn  meal.  We  have  found  this  practice 
to  give  good  results.  For  richness  of  food  and 
relative  feeding  value,  the  roots  rank  as  follows  : 
first  parsnips,  then  carrots,  beets,  Swedes  and  tur- 
nips, and  are  fed  in  about  the  same  quantities, 
excepting  beets,  of  which  double  the  quantity 
can  be  given.  For  the  reasons  stated  in  the  chap- 
ter on  turnips,  these  should  not  be  fed  to  cows  in 
profit,  or  if  they  are  fed  should  be  given  directly 
after  milking,  that  the  taste  imparted  to  the  milk 
may  be  as  slight  as  possible.  It  is  well  known 
that  if  cows  on  fresh  pasturage  in  the  spring  are 
milked  within  an  hour  or  two  after  coming  in,  the 


72 


FEEDING  ROOTS. 


taste  in  the  milk  will  be  strong,  while  if  brought 
in  at  noon  and  allowed  to  stand  several  hours  be- 
fore milking,  the  taste  is  hardly  preceptible;  thus, 
we  think  that  if  the  finest  varieties  of  turnips  were 
fed,  as  above  described,  this  objection  might  be 
entirely  removed,  though  we  have  not  yet  tested  it. 

Where  roots  are  fed  in  large  quantities,  a root 
cutter  will,  of  course,  be  indispensable,  and  we 
would  advise  the  use  of  one  which  cuts  the  roots 
in  slices  one-half  inch  or  less  in  thickness,  rather 
than  one  of  the  machines  cutting  the  roots  in 
chunks ; in  the  latter  the  roots  must  be  cut  much 
smaller,  as  the  cow  will  very  often  swallow  the 
pieces  whole,  with  danger  of  choking ; but  if  the 
roots  are  cut  in  thin  slices,  and  the  cow  is  not  dis- 
turbed or  frightened  while  eating,  there  is  no  danger 
of  any  Such  trouble  arising.  If.by  any  mischance 
such  a thing  were  to  occur,  the  piece  of  root  should 
be  at  once  removed  with  the  hand. 

Where  there  are  only  small  quantities  of  roots 
to  be  fed,  the  expense  of  a root  cutter  can  be  saved 
by  grinding  the  edge  of  a spade  and  cutting  the 
roots  with  it  in  a stout  box  or  trough ; the  meal  is 
then  placed  on  them  and  the  whole  mixed  to- 
gether ; we  consider  this  a better  way  than  putting 
the  cut  roots  in  the  feeding  trough  and  then 
placing  the  meal  over  them. 


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POTATOES  FOR  PROFIT. 

BY  F.  B.  VAN  ORNAM. 

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Synopsis  of  Contents  : — History  of  the  Potato— Soil  and  Pre- 
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INJURIOUS  INSECTS  AnnsecticVdes°F 


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Laboratory. 

A complete  and  conven- 
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and  gives  reliable  formulas 
for  making  insecticides. 

Plainly  written  for  the  mil- 
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Synopsis  of  Contents. 

— Introduction , — Soil  and 
Preparation , — Planting 
and  Cultivation,  — Fertiliz- 
ers, with  Formulas  Adapted 
to  these  Crops , — Insect  Ene- 
mies and  How  to  Deal  with 
Them,— Storing  for  Winter, 

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Loss, — Notes  on  Varieties. 

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THE  BEAUTIFUL  FLOWER  GARDEN. 

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this  book,  the  price  per  copy  has 
been  put  at  50  cents,  postpaid, 
which  is  actually  less  than  the  cost 
of  production  for  the  first  edition. 


All  About  SWEET  PEAS. 


REVISED  AND  ENLARGED.  PRICE  20  CENTS. 

A Book  of  13 1 Pages,  with  42  Illustrations. 

In  1893  we  first  published  a little  monograph,  All  About 
Sweet  Peas.  It  was  so  enthusiastically  received  that  52,577 
copies  were  sent  out  the  first  season.  From  the  correspond- 
ence that  followed  we  estimate  that  fully  200,000  per- 
sons read  this  monograph.  This  wonderful  fact  em- 
phatically called  for  a book.  We  therefore  had  a 
beautifully  illustrated  volume  prepared  with  the 
fixed  purpose  of  furnishing  a complete  epitome 
of  the  literature  of  this  fragrant  flower.  The 
author  is,  of  course,  Rev.  W.  T.  Hutchins,  a most 
enthusiastic  and  successful  grower,  and  an  authority 
upon  the  subject.  Our  new  book  is  complete,  exhaus- 
tive, and  carefully  edited.  From  our  hundreds  of  trials 
at  Fordhook  and  comparative  soil  tests  conducted  by 
our  chemist,  Mr.  Sempers,  in  several  sections  of  the 
country,  we  can  safely  say  that  cultural  directions  and 
fertilizers  suggested  are  authoritative.  Price  20  cents, 
or  Free  as  a premium  with  a $2.00  order. 


CAN  BE  ORDERED  FROM  THE  PUBLISHERS,  OR 
ANY  BOOK  STORE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

W.  ATLEE  BURPEE  & CO.,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


JUST  PUBLISHED. 


FLOWERS  FOR 

EVERY  HOME. 

BY 

Mr.  E.  D.  Darlington, 

Who  for  many  years  has  been  the  General  Superintendent 
of  our  Trial  Grounds. 


It  tells  how  to  successfully  grow  flowers  from  seed,  both  iudoors 
and  out.  Few  writers  have  had  such  opportunities  to  study  flowers, 
and  what  the  author  knows  he  tells  in  language  that  can  be  easily 
understood. 

Illustrated.  Price  io  Cents. 


HOW  TO  GROW  CABBAGES  AND 

CAULIFLOWERS  MOST  PROFITABLY. 


This  book  gives  complete  information  on  the  successful  growing  of  these  impor- 
an  crops.  Illustrated.  Price  30  Cents,  Postpaid. 


HOW  AND  WHAT  TO  GROW  IN  A 

KITCHEN  GARDEN  OF  ONE  ACRE. 

Thig  new  book  of  nearly  200  pages  will  prove  very  valuable  to  all  engaged  in 
gardening;  it  gives  sound,  common-sense  views  and  practical  teachings— so  plain 
that  the  most  inexperienced  need  not  fail — so  complete  that  experienced  garden- 
ers can  read  it  with  pleasure  and  profit.  It  is  fully  illustrated  and  enters  so 
thoroughly  into  details  that  it  will  undoubtedly  be  warmly  welcomed  bv  the 
thousands  who  inquire,  every  year,  Which  is  the  best  Book  on  Gardening? 

Fully  Illustrated.  Price  50  Cents  in  Paper  ; 75  Cents  in  Cloth. 


CAN  BE  ORDERED  FROM  THE  PUBLISHERS,  OR 
ANY  BOOK  STORE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

PUBLISHED  BY 

W.  ATLEE  BURPEE  & CO.,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


ONIONS  FOR  PROFIT. 


A Full  and  Complete  Hand=book  of  Onion  Growing. 


At  last  we  publish  a really 
complete  hand-book  on  Onion 
growing;  it  is  by  Mr.  T. 
Greiner,  author  of  the  New 
Onion  Culture,  of  which 
book  he  says : — 

“The  New  Onion  Culture 
was  intended  mostly  to  present 
a new  phase  of  the  business, 
and  to  encourage  further  re- 
searches in  an  entirely  new 
direction.  As  a ‘ Hand-book  of 
Onion  Growing’  it  has  short- 
comings and  is  far  from  being 
complete.  It  leaves  too  much 
room  for  personal  inquiries.  I 
have  looked  the  field  of  horti- 
cultural literature  in  America 
over  pretty  closely,  and  am  un- 
able to  find  a hand-book  for  the 
Onion  grower  the  teachings  of 
which  are  based  on  modern 
methods  and  embody  (as  they 
should  in  order  to  justify  any 
claims  of  being  ‘ up-to-the- 
times’)  the  two  systems,  the 
old  and  the  new,  in  profitable 
combination.” 

Fully  Illustrated. 

Price  50  Cents. 


CELERY  FOR  PROFIT. 

All  agree  that  Celery  offers  greater  chances  for  making  money 
than  any  other  garden  crop.  The  difficulties  encountered  by  the 
old  methods  of  growing,  however,  made  success  uncertain,  and 
sure  only  with  comparatively  few  expert  growers.  All  this  uncer- 
tainty is  now  a thing  of  the  past,  as  modern  methods  make  profit- 
able Celery  growing  possible  to  all  intelligent  gardeners.  From 
the  same  area  which  would  give  $100.00  in  any  other  vegetable, 
you  may  take  $400.00  or  even  $500.00  in  Celery,  if  you  know 
how.  This  new  book  was  specially  written  for  us  by  T.  Greiner, 
author  of  Onions  for  Profit. 

It  tells  how  to  dispense  with  nine-tenths  of  the  labor  generally  thought  neces- 
sary in  Celery  growing,  and  how  to  make  the  business  pay  really  big  profits. 
Under  the  right  culture  and  conditions  several  thousand  dollars’  worth  of  Celery 
can  be  raised  on  a single  acre.  The  book  is  thoroughly  complete  in  every  detail, 
and  is  embellished  with  many  helpful  and  original  illustrations.  Our  space 
allows  us  to  give  but  a glimpse  of  the  table  of  contents: — Generalities — An  Intro- 
duction—The  Early  Celery — The  New  Celery  Culture — Where  the  Profit 
Lies  -The  Irrigation  Problem — The  Fall  and  Winter  Crop— Winter  Storage — 
Marketing  Problems — Varieties,  etc.,  etc. 

Fully  Illustrated.  Price  30  Cents. 

CAN  BE  ORDERED  FROM  THE  PUBLISHERS,  OR 
ANY  BOOK  STORE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 


Selection  in  Seed  Growing. 


IS  an  interesting  and  instructive  book  of  112  pages,  illustrated, 
giving  the  vital  principles  which  underlie  the  growing  of 
vegetables,  flowers,  or  grains  from  seed.  It  tells  how  new 
varieties  are  obtained  and  developed,  and  gives  in  full  the  im- 
portant essays  on  this 
subject  read  before  the 
World’s  Horticultural 
Congress,  Chicago, 
with  the  views  of  such 
leading  European  au- 
thorities as  M.  de  Vil- 
morin,  of  Paris ; Mr. 

Pedersen  - Bjergaard, 
of  Copenhagen,  and 
Dr.  Wittmack,  of  Ber- 
lin ; including  essays 
and  discussions  by  such 
well-known  American 
horticulturists  and 
seed  growers  as  Messrs. 

Morse,  Allen,  Hill, 

Craig,  McMillan,  Gar- 
field, Burpee,  Prof. 

Trelease,  and  Prof. 

Bailey.  The  book 
gives  in  detail  the  Modern  Methods  of  the  Seed  Trade, 
with  illustrations  of  the  practical  work  in  seed  growing  and  seed 
testing  at  Fordhook  Farm. 

Price,  Postpaid,  io  Cents. 

CAN  BE  ORDERED  FROM  THE  PUBLISHERS,  OR 
ANY  BOOK  STORE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

PUBLISHED  BY 

W.  ATLEE  BURPEE  & CO.,  PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 


W-Atlee  Burpee  &C®, 


PHILADELPHIA. 


=BURPEE’S= 
FARM  ANNUAL. 

The  Leading  American  Seed  Catalogue. 


For  truth,  knowledge,  and  fairness  Burpee’s  Farm  Annual  is 
looked  to  as  the  model  seed  catalogue  of  America. 

Its  mission  is  to  place  the  best  seeds  that  grow  within  the  reach 
of  all. 

Seed  planters  everywhere  believe  in  it.  Our  brethren  in  the  seed 
trade  pay  it  and  us  honor  by  quoting  from  its  pages  ; the  editors  ol 
influential  papers — whose  good  opinion  we  all  value — compliment 
it  highly. 

The  following  extracts  from  five  reflect  hundreds  of  reviews 

V Waverly  Magazine,  Boston , Mass. , January  27, 189k.  W 

Y Burpee’s  Farm  Annual  offers  everything  worth  having  in  vegetables  Q 
j and  flowers.  The  amateur  gardener  makes  no  mistake  in  relying  upon  A 

it  as  a guide. 

The  Philadelphia  Inquirer,  Philadelphia , Pa.,  February  5, 189k. 

Full  of  the  popular  science  of  agriculture  and  horticulture,  the  com- 
panion of  the  successful  husbandman  and  the  text-book  of  the  amateur 
grower. 

Western  Farmer  and  Stockman,  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  January  11, 189k. 

Burpee’s  Farm  Annual  for  1894  is  before  us,  and  is,  we  believe,  the 
handsomest  and  most  complete  one  ever  sent  out  by  that  standard  old 
seed  house. 

^ Orange  Judd  Farmer,  Chicago,  III.,  February  10, 189k. 

W Prominent  among  the  educational  class  of  seed  catalogues  is  that  issued 
A yearly  by  W.  Atlee  Burpee  & Co.,  of  Philadelphia.  Their  Annual,  re- 
^ cently  issued,  surpasses  all  their  previous  efforts. 

A The  Daily  Examiner,  Lancaster,  Pa.,  February  6, 189k. 

± Mr.  Burpee’s  catalogue,  like  his  business,  is  the  result  of  an  evolution 
W or  development  toward  a higher  and  ever  better  ideal.  We  have  studied 
ft  his  catalogues  with  considerable  care  for  some  years  past,  and  notice 
^ that  each  year  makes  a decided  advance  along  the  safest  progressive 
W lines.  The  ordinary  seed  catalogue  bewilders  the  reader  with  its  long 
^ list  of  names  of  old  and  new  varieties,  vague  descriptions,  and  indis- 
a criminate  words  of  praise,  until  one  is  utterly  at  sea  as  to  the  real  merits 
W and  demerits  of  the  different  varieties.  Mr.  Burpee’s  catalogue,  on  the 
^ contrary,  is  a positive  and  reliable  help  to  the  man  who  really  wants  to 
± know  the  facts. 


I 


5 


j 


The  new  edition  is  issued  January  1st  and  mailed  promptly  to 
each  one  of  our  customers,  beginning  with  the  far  South  and  West. 
Any  seed  planter  is  welcome  to  a copy  free.  Others  should  enclose 
ten  cents,  which  is  less  than  cost  in  quarter-million  editions. 


W.  ATLEE  BURPEE  & CO., 


■PHILADELPHIA.  PA 


